Your imitation is your limitation. Human beings are wired to imitate. You imitate every single day. You might not be conscious about this, but it is happening all the same. Your first steps in life were inspired by watching other people walk around you, and you desired that power in your life. If you were unaware of the possibilities of walking on two feet. You would happily crawl in an alternate world where humans do not walk. Your potential is limitless, but the people and circumstances you emulate limit you. Choose who you imitate carefully. As it is written, “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT).
You cannot control your ability to imitate and absorb ideas and mannerisms from around you. You can control where you imitate from. It is self-deceit to insist that you do not copy from anywhere. It is impossible to function in society without copying what others are doing. Our day-to-day living can be construed as copying what others are doing, with slight variation. You are shaped by the culture around you. Romans 12:2 warns against copying the behaviour and customs of a corrupted world. The quality of the society determines the possibilities that are available to you.
You will become the person you imitate. If you are learning, absorbing and imitating mediocre people, you are also going to sink into the depths of mediocrity alongside the rest of the pack. Finding out who you take your cues from is one of the best ways to predict how your life will turn out. Who are you trying to imitate? You become an animal if you imitate animals. You will become a genius if you imitate a genius. If there was a way to imitate God, you could become more like Him. Apostle Paul wrote, “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”
