Chasing and Being Chased

"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."
-Proverbs 13:20

I've often talked about how important it is to have training partners- those who will labor with you toward a mutual end goal; those who will push you; those who you can push. Most of the time a training partner is someone who is about your same skill level. Sure, you may be a bit better at them in some areas, and they might be better than you in others, but by and large y'all are on the same playing field. These folks are your peers, and they push you and hold you accountable to be better.

Just as important though is having people in your training that you can chase, and that can chase you. Not people who are just a little bit better/worse than you, but significantly better/worse. I got to train for a time with a National Champion, and just being around him made me see things that I never would have seen with people on my own level. The way he moved; his work ethic; his attention to detail- all things that became invaluable to my training. I also have been fortunate enough to train with people who were significantly behind me. I was able to show them things that they would have never seen if they only trained with people on their level. This was good for them, but good for me too: it reminded me of fundamentals, showed me how far I have come, and kept me hungry to stay ahead (for often times these newbies make great strides, and in time start to push me!)

In our pursuit of Christ, we need this same dynamic- the "weaker brother" (1 Cor 8, Romans 14), our peers, and those we are striving to be like as they are like Jesus (1 Cor 11:1).  As proverbs 13 indicates, we become like those we spend the most time with, so it is important that we spend time with folks who are further along who make us want to be more like Jesus, and that we spend time around those who aren't as far along since we make them want to be more like Jesus.

We need those who are not as far along in our faith for many reasons. They remind us that in the end, only Jesus makes us clean- not our own good works or striving. They put on display a childlike faith, willing and ready to take Jesus at his word simply because of who He is. They show us the joy that is to be had when we mature and grow into the likeness of Christ. They hold us accountable to knowing scripture, for inevitably they will ask questions that we must answer.

Likewise, we need those who are further ahead of us. We need others that model Christ well to show us the way. They remind us that with the help of the Spirit, we too can one day be transformed into the image of Christ (2 Cor 3:18). They show us what it looks like to love our wives like Christ love the Church. They teach us how to exhibit patience in frustrating situations. They exhort us to pray, and to hold all things before the Lord.

The body of Christ is just that- a body. It is many different parts that all make up a whole, the sum of which is greater than just the parts themselves. It is the old teaching the young, the strong bearing with the week, all under the banner of Christ. As a great theologian once said, "nobody leans against the Cross and says 'all you sinners come bow down', but rather we kneel before the cross and invite others to kneel with us."