What would it look like if God became like one of us? It's a great question, and there's already a great answer out there for us to explore: Jesus. When we wonder what it's like to be made in the image of God, we look at Jesus. When we wonder what it means to be godly and good, we look at Jesus. The Bible says, "You were... created to be like God, truly righteous and holy." And Jesus helps us understand what that looks like in real life on this beautiful, frightening planet.
Here's some quotes from the chapter that were helpful to me:
God's ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development.
Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your personality.
Every time you forget that character is one of God's purposes for your life, you will become frustrated by your circumstances. ...life is supposed to be difficult! It's what enables us to grow.
God [is not] a genie who simply exists to serve you in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment. ...God is not your servant, and if you fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy, either you will become severely disillusioned or you will live in denial of reality.
Mention "the power of the Holy Spirit," and many people think of miraculous demonstrations and intense emotions. But most of the time the Holy Spirit's power is released in your life in quiet, unassuming ways that you aren't even aware of or can't feel. He often nudges us with "a gentle whisper."
Christlikeness is not produced by imitation, but by inhabitation. We allow Christ to live through us. "For this is the secret: Christ lives in you." How does this happen in real life? Through the choices we make. We choose to do the right thing in situations and then trust God's Spirit to give us his power, love, faith, and wisdom to do it. Since God's Spirit lives inside of us, these things are always available for the asking.
Obedience unlocks God's power.
God waits for you to act first. Don't wait to feel powerful or confident. Move ahead in your weakness, doing the right thing in spite of your fears and feelings. This is how you cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and it is how your character develops.
God uses people. He usually prefers to work through people rather than perform miracles, so that we will depend on each other for fellowship. He wants us to grow together.
Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life.
Much confusion in the Christian life comes from ignoring the simple truth that God is far more interested in building your character than anything else.
God is far more interested in what you are than in what you do. We are human beings, not human doings.
...many [Christians] have abandoned living for God's great purposes and settled for personal fulfillment and emotional stability. That is narcissism, not discipleship. Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable, well-adjusted lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment