Here is another key to effectively imitating… 

I Thessalonians 1:5-7

“You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.”

Paul and his team didn’t just write letters to people, they actually ‘lived among them’ which made imitation possible. Real imitation is only possible if it is up close and very personal. 

They imitated Paul and the members of his team and thus they imitated the Lord. This ministry then multiplied as the Thessalonians became a model for other believers throughout the region. But it started with Paul and his team living among them. 

QUESTION: Am I ‘living among those I am looking to disciple?’