A disciple is a learner. When we are born again we are babes in Christ, there is so much for us to learn. And just like a small child, most of what we learn comes from watching what others do and trying to do the same thing. Thus, just like a small child, we are as much in need of good examples as we are of good teachers.

The apostle Paul could say: “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample” (Philippians 3:17). Hebrews 13:7 instructs us to “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”

In order to learn how to walk this Christian way, we need to seek out Christians who are sound in the faith and who live that faith in everyday life, and imitate their faith and their way of putting that faith into action.

Jesus is of course our ultimate example, yet without consecrated followers of Jesus as contemporary examples, we can form ideas about how to walk that will leave us weak and handicapped.

This leads to the question of where to find such examples. It seems to me that the best examples to follow are those who are still learning themselves. Anyone who thinks he has got this Christian way down pat and has nothing more to learn is definitely not a good example to follow. The best leaders are those who are still learning to follow Jesus and who expect that there will always be more to learn. An eagerness to learn and to grow more and more like Jesus is the best description of humility that I can think of.