Seeking to trust God and become more like Jesus
We should pray and work so that
every part of us is replaced by God just as every part of a tree is replaced by
minerals to become petrified wood. But instead of turning to stone, our
metamorphosis results in the emergence of a butterfly. A Little Less Like Me by Zach Williams is a way of praying for
that. Like cleaning out your house, there will undoubtedly be old, unnecessary,
or even dangerous things to which you are attached, and letting go of them can
be difficult. But in both cases you need to be committed to the task at hand
and willing to sacrifice those things to reach your goal. LeCrae’s Just Like You tells a powerful story
about that transformation.
The more you grow to be like him, the more you will start
saying things he said without even realizing it like “I came not to be served
but to serve.” At a church revival I heard someone suggest that you will know
you are making progress if you hear people say, “You sound just like your
Father!”
One of Mother Teresa’s favorite prayers expresses this goal:
Dear Jesus, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my
soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly
that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in
me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let
them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall
begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. Amen.
But continually moving in this direction is an ongoing
challenge…
Like the movie Groundhog
Day, as Stephen Curtis Chapman points out in his song, The Change, we start off again each day with the same natural
tendencies that we need to overcome. I may be getting better little by little,
but can easily be challenged by some of the same issues every day for the rest
of my life. As Paul wrote to Timothy, (1 Timothy 4): “15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so
that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch
your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will
save both yourself and your hearers.” Lecrae’s Prayin’ For You speaks to the self-reflection and focus necessary
to do that.
In another chapter I talk about the difference between our
roles that are like feed corn (providing things that we consume today) and seed
corn (that we invest to make the future better, with teachers being a classic
example). Jesus was at once feed corn (the bread of life) and seed corn
(falling to the ground to spring forth with new life), providing both immediate
solutions to pressing needs of those around him and the permanent solution to
their existence. We are called to be both too, though managing how takes wisdom
and prayer.
Sin is not about adhering to every law that can be found in
the Bible: it’s about failing to trust God and do his will. As Stephen Curtis
Chapman says in his song, it’s about being willing to do “Whatever” he asks of
you.
Though focused on Heaven,
our progress will have impact on the world: As Augustine wrote, “Bad times!
Troublesome times! This men are saying. Let our lives be good; and the times
are good. We make our times; such as we are, such are the times.” This advice
speaks to all generations, including our own.
In all of this, it’s your attitude that matters—Paul points
that out in 1 Corinthians 13, saying that great things done without love are
nothing. A good act taken with self-centered attitude lacks a critical
component and a bad, even harmful act, taken in good faith can be obeying. As
discussed later, the same is true for so many other things —-it’s your
perspective, goals, and motivation that matter more than the action or outcome.
Instead of self-pride, offer praise; instead of self-congratulations, be in
awe; instead of entitlement, be thankful.
Do all of that you can to seek to better know God through
scripture and prayer, and to model your thoughts, words, and deeds on what you
learn.
Remember that God spared Abraham’s son, despite the fact
that Abraham did not ask for that, but did not spare his own son, though Jesus
asked if that was possible. He models both mercy and self-sacrifice.
We are not called to be perfect—no person who ever sought
God or followed Jesus was. But are you willing to dance in the streets (when
even David’s wife was embarrassed for him) and praise and pray to God
throughout your day and life as David did? He made lots of huge mistakes
(including breaking at least three of the ten commandments), but “was a man
after God’s own heart.” Are you willing to tell others about Jesus and even
pray to heal others in his name like Peter did? He had the audacity to
correct/admonish Jesus and then denied him, but was given “the keys to the
Kingdom.” Are you willing to share your story and faith with others as Paul
did? He persecuted believers and tried to stamp out Christianity, yet became
“Apostle to the Gentiles,” advocating for and spreading the Gospel in Asia
Minor (Turkey), Greece, Rome, and other places. You don’t need to do all of
these things. None of them did all of them. You don’t need to do any of them.
But you need to earnestly express the faith and joy in your heart in whatever
way you are called to do it. Each worshiped and praised and served in his own
way and you should too. C. S. Lewis and Thomas Merton were two of the great
Christian writers of the 20th century, and each spent most of his time and
energy writing instead of in modeling physical acts of service to the
poor—their service was according to their gift, which was challenging and
encouraging others through their writing. We are called to serve as the Spirit
leads us, not as he leads others.
Sections in this chapter:
- The heart of faith
- The core message and goal for your life
- Seeking to trust God and become more like Jesus
- Knowing your role—and God’s
- Fruit of the Spirit
- Managing our priorities
- And our praise
- Identity, the creeds, and unity
- The struggle of finding and holding faith
- Ultimate truth
- Faith must be our own
- Levels and types of faith
- Faith vs. knowledge
- Faith and the Law and Works
- Free Will and The Fall
- Seeking to understand the Bible and life through discernment
- The challenge of discernment
- Handling different discernments
- "Our own words"
- Exploring challenging passages and ideas
- The importance of prayer
- Personal reflections
- The importance of living the life
- It’s not too late
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