Who Do We Imitate?

3 John 11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. (NIV)

I remember when I was young, I wanted to be an astronaut like John Glenn. The more I read about him, the more I wanted to imitate him and his efforts to do that which no one else had accomplished.

My Dad, R.O. Wilkins Jr., had a tremendous impact on my life. He would talk about great engineers occasionally. I was in my mid-teens at the time, and I was always inspired by the things Dad did for his work in Engineering. I eventually would follow in his footsteps in my career for many years. Dad did not always make the right choices in life, but his career in Engineering was rock solid and I followed him. He later accepted Christ as his Savior.

I admired R.G. Letourneau who was a designer and builder of heavy earth moving equipment. He sold many of his patents to Caterpillar because he simply did not have the time to pursue them. He had a tremendous testimony for Christ. He authored a book titled “Mover of Men and Mountains.” As a young Machine Designer his work intrigued me, but his testimony for Christ empowered me. He put Christ first in all things, and he personally financed many mission organizations reaching around the world. I still think of his testimony quite frequently.

Dad would share with me at times throughout my career that I needed to stay refreshed and tuned so that my work would never be dull and uninteresting. Later in life we would discuss engineering problems we encountered throughout our careers. I asked Dad one day when I was dealing with a very difficult design issue. I told him I just could not find a workable answer. He shared with me James 1:5-8 ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (NIV) These verses were a breakthrough. I read those verses before bedtime that night and slept very peacefully. I woke up refreshed and ready for the day’s work that lay ahead. I did not think about the job or the problem until I sat down and reopened the drawings. I recited the verses again and then the new design idea came before me in the form of changes that needed to be made. The work was a great success, one of which I was proud to have a part of. I asked Dad where he discovered that verse. He had read it in an article about R.G. Letourneau.

I have read books over the years about people who venture out in life in a way that reflects Christ in a deep and powerful way. Sure, there are non-Christians with great ideas, but I prefer to follow men of God with a proven track record like R.G. Letourneau and the like.

Key Point: Investigate who you admire and see if their life reflects Christ. If not, you may want to look elsewhere. A character that reflects Christ is one worth following.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, Help me to be mindful of who I admire and follow. Give me the wisdom to make the right choices in seeking Christ-like examples for my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN!!!

Have a Blessed and Wonderful Day!!!

In Christ,

Ted Wilkins

© 2026 Ted Wilkins