Important: Bible Verses About Being An Example

This post contains important Bible verses about being an example in this broken world, plus simple steps to apply these Bible verses to your life.

Your neighbor, your kids, your co-workers people are watching you more than you realize. If you say you are a Christian, how you live impacts others and reflects Christ.

I was a single mom for nine years, and a friend would always say, ‘Remember, your kids are watching you; actions speak louder than words.'

Those words I never forgot. I didn't want to be just a good example for my kids, but a godly example. It helped me think before I reacted when I was stressed and tired.

Living as a Christian is not about performing for an audience or pretending to have it all together.

It is about letting your everyday life point others toward Jesus.

The kids and I prayed together on our way to school, before meals, and at bedtime. We went to church, listened to worship music, and talked about Jesus and how He would show up in our lives. Life was hard, but He alone was worthy of praise. We kept our eyes on Jesus and trusted God to take care of us. We treated others like we wanted to be treated. Those hard times changed our lives and made an eternal difference. I may have gotten lots wrong when I was a single mom, but one thing I wanted to make sure they understood was that Jesus is real and God is love.

A trusted source as our guide.

It often feels like right is wrong, and wrong is right. The blessing is that the Lord is so good to us that He left us a guide, the Holy Bible. We have the testimony of Jesus Christ and His life as an example for us. Through His words and actions, Jesus taught us how to live in this broken world.

James 1:22 (NIV), Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Together, let's go to God's Word and look at Bible Verses about being an example.

1 Timothy 4:12

1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV), Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Matthew 5:16

Matthew 5:16 (ESV), In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Titus 2:3-5

Titus 2:3-5 (NIV), Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Titus 2:7-8

Titus 2:7-8 (ESV), Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

1 Corinthians 11:1

1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV), Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

1 Peter 2:12

1 Peter 2:12 (NLT), Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

1 Peter 2:21

1 Peter 2:21 (NIV), To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV), But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Proverbs 16:24

Proverbs 16:24 (NIV), Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2 (NIV), Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Colossians 3:16

Colossians 3:16-17 (ESV), Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:23

Colossians 3:23 (NLT), Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

1 Thessalonians 1:6

1 Thessalonians 1:6 (ESV), And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit

2 Timothy 2:15

2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV), Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Hebrews 13:7

Hebrews 13:7 (NIV), Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Philippians 3:17

Philippians 3:17 (NIV), Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

1 John 3:18

1 John 3:18 (NIV), Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Matthew 18:6

Matthew 18:6 (NIV), “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Philippians 2:3-4

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV), Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

James 5:10

James 5:10 (NIV), Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Mark 10:43-45

Mark 10:43-45 (ESV), But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

John 13:14-15

John 13:14-15 (NIV), Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

1 Corinthians 15:58

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV),Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Galatians 6:9

Galatians 6:9 (NIV), Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Ephesians 5:1

Ephesians 5:1 (ESV), Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1 (ESV), I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Matthew 5:13

Matthew 5:13 (ESV), “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV), Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

What would your life look like if you applied these Bible verses about being an example?

When you remember that actions speak louder than words and apply these Bible verses, your life will change.

The will of God is not to be a stumbling block, but to be an example of God's love, to be a light of the world, and to exemplify the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV), But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

If you are a Christian, you are called to be set apart from this world. The Son of God, Jesus, died and was crucified, shedding His blood for you and for me, for our sins, so that we would have a way to eternal life in heaven.

Pause for a minute and think about what Christ did for you. The God of Peace was crucified for you and me. There is no greater love than that. God did not stop there. He gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide you at every step. The Spirit of God lives in you and me! WOW!

When you really stop and think about all that Jesus did for you, you want to do the right thing and live a Godly life. You will want to sacrifice your own selfish desires and stand out for Jesus. So become the best version of yourself and experience the power of the Holy Spirit living inside you.

Simple steps to apply these Bible verses about being an example in your daily life.

1. Your words build people up, not tear them down. Speak truth with grace.

2. You are consistent. Your behavior is aligned with your beliefs. Live your life at home, in the car, and throughout the week as you do on Sunday.

3. No matter what, you display the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

4. In faith, you trust God out loud by allowing people to see how you trust God. Rely on Him, and don't just show them your strengths.

5. What you do in private is the same as what you do in public. You have integrity.

6. You lead with love and respond in love in all situations.

7. In whatever you do, your life is consistent, and it points back to Jesus.

When people see you wanting to live by Jesus example, they start asking what makes Him worth chasing. Being an example for Jesus is not about being perfect. It is about being real and honest. It's not about doing the right thing for recognition and posting about it, but living each day and moment with your eyes fixed on Jesus for an audience of One. You mess up, own it, talk to the Lord about it, learn from it, and give yourself grace.

Your life will have more peace, joy, and love than you have ever felt. A better life than the ways of this world, but yes, you will still have trouble. However, you will never be alone because Jesus will be right there with you.

Jesus is real!

Jesus is Hope!

God is Love!

Begin today, keep your eyes on Jesus, and be an example for Jesus!

If you have never asked Jesus Christ into your heart, you can do that today with a prayer from your heart.

Heavenly Father, I am a sinner, but I come to you as I am. Lord, forgive me for my sins. I want to invite you into my heart to be my Lord and Savior. I believe you came to earth, were born of a virgin, lived a blameless life, and were crucified on the cross. You shed your blood for me to wash away my sins. I believe you rose from the grave three days later, and when you ascended to heaven, you left the Holy Ghost to live in my heart and help guide me. Thank you for loving me, forgiving me, and giving me eternal life with You. Help me, Lord, and guide me as I begin my new life with You. I want to be an example for You in all that I do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

If you just prayed this prayer and invited Christ Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you just made the most important decision of your life and one that will change your eternity!

You are not alone on this journey of faith.

You may wonder where to begin your next steps in a new life in Christ. Please visit my GROW YOUR FAITH page and explore. There you will find free resources. A 21-page devotional for your next steps, ways to get connected with an online community, and more!

It would also be an honor and privilege to celebrate with you and pray for you. Please visit my ROOTED IN PRAYER page, where you can fill out a simple form and let us know your decision to have a new life in Christ, or share in the comments below!

Welcome to the family!

Music is powerful.

What we listen to is powerful. Music is a universal language that is powerful enough to change your day. We listen to the K-Love radio station in our home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is always positive and encouraging, pointing us back to Jesus. If you have never listened to K-Love, I encourage you to listen and see how it transforms your days.

Here are a few songs that reminded me to be an example for Jesus.

Do Something by Matthew West

Less Like Me by Zach Williams

Only Jesus by Casting Crowns

The Jesus Way by Phil Wickham