SEE the pretty picture we have today! A little donkey and its mother donkey. And what a treat they are having, eating those beautiful flowers.
How do you suppose the little donkey found the flowers? Do you not think the mother found them first and began to eat them? Then when baby donkey saw his mother eating, he followed her example and began to eat too.
The little chickens see the mother hen scratching for worms, and soon they also begin to scratch for worms. Little children see their mothers sewing, ironing, washing, sweeping, and they want to do these same things. When the baby is out playing with his brothers and sisters, he wants to do what he sees them do. It is natural for the young to watch the older ones and want to follow their example. They would be very strange young ones if they did not.
Let us look again at our picture. The flowers are growing in a house and hanging out through the open window. Perhaps when the people of the house come in and find that the donkeys have been eating up the pretty vines and blossoms, they will feel quite badly about it. So we see the donkeys are doing what they should not do, though THEY do not know any better. The old one is setting the young one a had example.
How often the baby children do naughty things they see their brothers and sisters doing. They are just as quick to do the bad things they see others do, as to do the good things, and very often a little quicker.
So, little reader, you must be very careful to set a good example to those around you. For the younger ones especially, watch us and do as we do. We should not let them see us do anything but good.
But if you are going to set a good example for others to follow, where will YOU look for an example to follow yourself? Paul, the apostle, said, “Be ye followers of me, even as I am of Christ”. 1 Cor. 11:11Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1). And again, BE YE THEREFORE FOLLOWERS OF GOD AS DEAR CHILDREN.” Eph. 5:11Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; (Ephesians 5:1).
Jesus, the Lord, is our perfect example. If we are following Him and doing as He wishes us to do, it will be safe for others to follow our example.
Do you know of anyone else who wants us to be his followers? “Yes”, someone says, “Satan”. He surely does. He likes to get people to do wrong and wicked things, and then see the younger ones and the weaker ones do the same things after them. He has plenty of followers, too.
But you are not one of them, are you? If you are, stop and think where he will lead you. He is on his way to the lake of fire, and some day, if you keep on following him, you will find yourself in that dreadful place with him. But if you are a follower of the Lord Jesus, you are on your way to heaven.
Whom do you follow?
ML 07/28/1912