Ditto / Living a Life Worth Repeating ~ Amy Sapp
How many of you have ever used the word “ditto”?
Maybe it was in school when your best friend said something funny and you whispered, “Ditto.”
Or maybe your husband said, “You look beautiful,” and you answered, “Ditto, Babe.”
Some of you all from my era are using “ditto” when you text because it’s easier than typing out the same response! Come on, admit it!
It’s such a little word… but it means “me too”, “same here”, or “I’m with you.”
Today I want to talk about how the way we live.... our choices, our attitudes, our walk with God... can be so impactful that someone else says,
“Ditto. I want that too.”
1 ~ “Ditto” in the Bible
Let’s start with a biblical “ditto” moment.
Philippians 3:17
“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.”
Paul is basically saying here... “Live a life so others can say ‘ditto’ to you!”
He’s not bragging... he’s showing what it looks like to follow Christ. He’s saying,
“If you want to know how to walk with Jesus, look at me. Follow my example.”
That’s bold, isn’t it? Could you imagine turning to your kids or your coworkers or even the other ladies at your church and saying....
“Just live like I do. Ditto my life.”
That’s the goal, friends... NOT perfection, but authenticity. A life worth echoing.
2 ~ Someone Is Always Watching
Have you ever had a child copy something you did… that you wish they hadn’t?
Like the time my little mini me repeated a phrase I muttered under my breath in traffic… in Sunday school… including all of the drama.
Yeah. We’re raising parrots, if you know you know.
But it’s not just kids.
Ladies, your friends, your co-workers, the young woman at church who’s looking for a mentor.. they are watching YOU, even if you do not realize it.
They’re looking to see.....
How you respond when life’s not fair.
How you treat your husband.
How you carry yourself in Walmart when they only have two registers open and you’ve got frozen stuff melting.
We don’t live on an island. Our lives preach louder than our words. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Your walk talks, and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks."
Titus 2:3-5
Talks about women being “teachers of good things” and examples to younger women.
What we model.. our joy, our prayer life, our forgiveness, our priorities...should make someone say..
“Ditto. I want that spirit. That kind of peace. That kind of joy.”
3 ~ Be the Kind of Friend Who Says “Ditto”
Let’s flip it.
Sometimes you’re the one needing a “ditto.”
You see a woman who’s steady through storms, and you think,
“I want her kind of strength. Her walk with God. Her fire for Jesus. Ditto.”
The Bible is full of “ditto” friendships:
Ruth and Naomi: Ruth said, “Whither thou goest, I will go.” That’s a holy “ditto”!
Jonathan and David: a friendship full of loyalty and spiritual encouragement.
Mary and Elizabeth: Both expecting miracles, cheering each other on!
Do you have a “ditto” friend?
And are you being one? A friend who inspires, who lifts, who walks so closely with Jesus that others want to follow?
4 ~ What Do You Want Repeated?
What did you do today or even yesterday that you would want repeated?
It’s convicting, isn’t it?
If someone repeated my attitude today…
If someone copied how I talked to my husband yesterday…
If someone mirrored how much time I spent in God’s Word this week…
Would I be proud of that “ditto”?
We don’t get it right every day. But Praise the Lord.. we don’t walk this life alone.
The Holy Spirit strengthens us. God's Word guides us. Jesus walks with us.
And every day we wake up is a chance to start fresh.. and live a life that says,
“Follow me… as I follow Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1
5. Jesus, the Ultimate “Ditto”
You know the one life we should all want to copy?
Jesus.
1 Peter 2:21
“Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.”
He loved the unlovable.
He forgave the unforgivable.
He served, He wept, He gave, He healed.
If we could only live lives that echo His…
What a powerful “ditto” that would be.
So today, I challenge you...
Live a life worth saying “Ditto” to.
Follow women who model Christ and say “Ditto” to their love for Jesus.
Be a friend, a mom, a wife, a woman who walks so closely with Jesus… that the next generation looks at you and says:
“Whatever she has... I want that too. Ditto.”
Think on these thoughts...
“Who do I want to model?”
“What in my life needs a new example?”