Devotions with Nell Ritchey

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” I Cor. 11:1

When I first met my husband, he always had a toothpick in his mouth. Always. It wasn’t a bad habit; it wasn’t a good habit; it was just a habit. As I recall, he left his toothpick home on our wedding day, but otherwise it was just part of his appearance. One day, several years later, that habit came to a screeching halt. Why? Because we had a small son who wanted to do everything his daddy did. And nobody needs an eighteen-month-old running around with a toothpick in his mouth!

We can draw two lessons from this. First, every believer has “little ones” following him. They’re not all so little, either. As a believer, you can be sure that somebody is watching you!

What you do right, he or she emulates. When you blow it, you make it okay (in his mind) to do the same thing. Of course no one is perfect, but it’s helpful for me to remember that I am an example and be on my best behavior. I have a friend who is a Christian leader in the community, and from him I learned that I am responsible to those “little ones” every second of every day. This friend takes this so seriously that when standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, he deliberately averts his eyes from the “rag mags” on the rack. Somebody seeing him look at them might get the wrong impression. I also have a clear memory of a time I blew it in the checkout line. I don’t remember the exact circumstances, but I know that I was angry, and I behaved in a way unbecoming to Christ. Later I looked down and was reminded that I was wearing a witnessing t-shirt. Uh, oh!

Lesson #2 – we should all be like that toddler, wanting to do everything his daddy does. Our “daddy” God is the perfect example, and His example is all written down for us to follow. I need to be in His Word daily, learning more about Him and becoming more like Him. I’ll never be perfect, but I can and should do better each and every day. Many “little ones” are watching.

God bless you!
Nell Ritchey