To Be Like Him

We all have goals and dreams, or at least we should--goals for education, relationships, careers, finances, kids—and the list goes on. There are things we want to accomplish for God in fulfilling His plan for us. Some goals seem within reach or attainable, but others seem impossible to achieve or so far off in the future we tend to lose sight of them. Many times we get so caught up in the daily routine of living that we forget we are here for a purpose. When rubber meets the road, there is but one thing that should constantly be on our hearts and minds. If we had to narrow life’s “to do” list down to one aim or goal it should be this; TO BE LIKE HIM. What does that mean in real life? Well, Philippians 2:5 says we “must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” Verse 8 says Jesus humbled Himself in obedience to God. So, in all of our doing, we should ask ourselves if we are doing it in obedience to God, or are we just going through the motions and making our own plans? Jesus’ goal was pretty clear: to do the will of His Father. In order to achieve that, He had to take on the form of a servant. His life’s goal was to please the Father. If we’re going to be like Jesus, it must be ours as well. How did He demonstrate this? He did it in one simple and profound way. Jesus loved. That’s who He was and what He was all about. That was God’s plan and will for Him. Everything He said and did was motivated by it and bathed in it. Jesus was not focused on Himself, but on the needs of others. Jesus was powerful in His life and ministry on earth because of love. Seem like a tall order? Yes, it can. But the good news is there’s hope for all of us! Philippians 2 goes on to say in verse 13 that “God is working in you, giving you the desire and power to do what pleases Him.” We can hold on to that word! So, when we fall short and miss it, we can repent and then get right back on track, thanking God for the word He gave us saying HE is at work in us. So, let’s keep that before us. Our aim is to be like Jesus; our desire is to do what pleases our Father in every area of our lives. Because HE first loved and found us, we are empowered to reach out with the very same love. Jesus didn't have personal contact with or touch every human being on the planet, but I'm confident that as He constantly pursued pleasing God, He impacted everyone He was supposed to. We can do the same. We can't do it all, but we can do what He needs us to do; touch those that only we can touch. We can be like Jesus!