“There are essentially two ways to become more like a person. They are generally categorized as external and internal. An external way would be likened to meeting a person and observing behaviors or speech patterns that one might find interesting or appealing. It is very easy to incorporate that into one’s own life. For example, I might see someone I respect who twists their glass when sitting at the table. I could see that and adopt that behavior in an effort to be more like that person. This is an example of external effort to mold one’s self to be like someone else.
“It is easy to think the same way about becoming like Jesus. One may comb the Scriptures to see what exactly how Jesus acts and then copy those actions. This is external, and it is a slippery slope. For every new Christian, however, in the beginning there is a re-training of actions and thoughts that are a matter of doing. A Christian must be loving and forgiving, as Jesus was to others. This is something a person either does or does not do. The slippery area is to think that the whole of becoming like Christ is to merely copy Christ’s actions and speech. If this attitude persists, as a person continues in the faith, it will lead only to defeat because there will always be some fault in what we do. In other words, we will always come short of Christ. What is the answer? The answer is surprisingly simple and obvious.
“I mentioned in the beginning that there are two ways of becoming like someone: external and internal. If external is consciously copying another’s actions, then internally is unconscious and a product of more significant changes in the person. Allow me to illustrate. I will use an example of marriage because I am newly married, but it will work also for close friendships. When my wife and I were first married, I could copy some of her body language or speech patterns, just to be funny. Over time, day in and day out, of just being with her and around her, I have noticed that I will have similar body language or speech patterns as hers. The difference is, I am surprised when I do it! I do not intend to at all! It just happens. I will gesture like her, use the same inflections in my voice and the same words. I am truly becoming more like her. And she reports the same thing with becoming more like me in some ways. Even with some of my close friends, I notice that I will do some of the things they do, without even thinking about it. These are perfect examples of internal changes to become more like a person.
This attitude is found also in the writings of the Apostle Paul. He wrote, ‘I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him…[and] that I may know Him…” (Phil 3:8-9, emphasis added).
What are the steps you may need to take to really get to know Christ? Do you need to spend more time in prayer? How about reading and contemplating Scripture, do you spend time pondering the very Words of God?
Have you taken the first step in making a personal commitment to Christ? If you have not, let me invite you to do that now. You may have been active in church all your life, but never made a decision to follow Christ. Will you do that now?
Christ desires to know you and have a relationship with you. He wants it so badly, that He would go as far as dying on the cross, for the sins you and I have committed, though He Himself was sinless and perfect. He did that so all the wrong things we have done in the past could be forgiven and so we could have an unhindered relationship with Him.
To trust Christ as your Savior is as simple as saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner, because of what Jesus did on the cross." It takes a just a moment to pray that prayer, but a lifetime to prove you are a follower of Christ. Why not start that journey now.