1 John 2:6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Abiding, following, transforming, renewing, imitating.
Each day, I renew my commitment to be more like Jesus, but each day, I am most like… Me. Flawed, human, me. And if my day concluded with a true/false test regarding the alignment of my words and deeds with Biblical teaching, I would usually fail (or at least get a C!).
But, failure isn’t an acceptable grade in my mind. As a child, I was always achievement- oriented, with a long history of being an honor student. Now, as an adult, I want an A in God-following behavior.
Each day is a lesson in how to do better and be better, but transformation doesn’t come easily. At least not in my own power. There are days I feel defeated by my lack of growth, but it is on those days, I have forgotten that I don’t have to strive for straight A’s based on my merit alone.
God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit as our teacher and coach. He has also given us examples to follow in the Bible. We don’t have to guess at “WWJD” (What would Jesus do). The scriptures are a rubric and guide.
And the good news…this is one time it is ok to look at your partner’s work.
If I copy off of Jesus’ examples, my life will, over time, look more and more like His. The more I look at Jesus’ work, the more time I spend with my teacher and coach, the easier it will be for me to know the answers when I am tested. I will learn to hear His voice above all others and follow His prompting.
I know this side of heaven, I’m not going to be the A- plus student I desire, but I know I will come closer to that goal when I draw closer to Jesus.