I Want to be Like Jesus!

He is different.  Unusual.  Odd.  To some, he is weird and out of touch with reality.  His identity is doing the will of his father, not his own.  His passion is people, not a self made man.  His ambition is to seek out the lost, not riches for himself.  His desire is to open up his house as a place to party and relax and live in complete satisfaction rather than lock his doors and be a hermit.  His love isn’t self-gratifying, rather it is offered to everyone.  His purpose is to be the peacemaker, redeemer, grace man and forgiver.

Who is this guy?  His name is Jesus! 

Oh, I want to tell you that Jesus is so much more than a story in the bible.  He is very much alive!  He is our personal savior.  He is our friend.  He is our teacher. 

Jesus’ desire was to put together words that would touch the hearts of his listeners.  His desire wasn’t to be a “preacher” who could quote more Scripture than anyone could obtain, rather, he wanted simplicity to lead his teaching so that everyone could leave with something.  He was a master at teaching a child to an adult. 

I want to be like him!  I mean, I want to live and love and teach and serve and lead just like Jesus.  Who better to mentor one’s life than Jesus?  I have many in my life who have mentored me and given me advice that helped shape the person I am today.  However, there hasn’t been anyone close to Jesus.  

The disciples had the best of the best!  Day in and day out they were taught by a man who could take a mustard seed and make a powerful story or demonstrate the power of feeding five thousand with a few fish and loaves of bread or he could have a faith walk on water to show that there is nothing that can hinder where he needed to go. 

In all of Jesus’ mentoring to his disciples, the one thing that was constant was Jesus’ prayer life.  The conversations he had with his dad were crucial to his life.   Sharing what was on his heart and getting the needed instructions from his mentor was a must. 

To be like Jesus is to live out the very attributes of Matthew 5, 6 & 7.  To have a deep need for God was at the pinnacle of Jesus message at the base of the mountain as thousands gathered to hear Jesus teach.  Being poor in spirit meant to put self aside and allow the desires of God to lead.  To be light and salt meant that one be a flavor of spirituality that put a good taste in peoples mouths and to be light demonstrates all the virtues of a Jesus led life.  The light says follow me because I follow Christ.  Forgiving has become a way of life because we desire the forgiveness from God. And, building our lives on a solid foundation ensures our security when we are thrown around by hardships and trials and health issues and financial woes and painful losses. 

Being like Jesus means living a life that trusts his Father to lead us where we need to go and getting us through the uncertainties of life.  Being like Jesus means that I might turn people off by my lifestyle, but in the end, the reward is much greater.  Being like Jesus will help others see truth in a way that isn’t dogmatic, brutal, or condemning.  Being like Jesus means that grace is for all, not for a select few. 

Will you be like Jesus?

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian