Be Like Him

The term redneck is used loosely in the south and while I’m not about to offer a definition, a true southerner can identify redneck behavior quickly.  Raising three boys in-the-country had some challenges including reminding to use our indoor plumbing and spitting was [generally] considered a nasty habit.  Yeah …

 

How can Christians be “wonderfully poised” for the challenges of life?  As a young mother 20+ years ago, I found myself [often] at a loss how to reach the hearts of boys-to-men who could one day be called to reach the hearts of their own children.  Then one day, it occurred to me the greatest heart-challenge was my own!  In Matthew, Jesus spoke of familiar matters yet a deeper calling: turn the other cheek, go a second mile, love your enemy, pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:38-45).  This surely caused some whispers in the crowd.  How absurd these responses to evil may seem but pondering Jesus’ words, we see a divine resemblance as He concludes, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  He issued a call to embrace generous behavior instead of being guided by natural affections – be like God Himself.  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35).  Oswald Chambers writes, “The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing, but in God-likeness.”  As I read this, I realized my trouble isn’t in doing, but in being like God – “perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Whatever life holds – parenting small children, meeting business deadlines, living within a slim budget, keeping a servant’s heart in life’s new seasons, or influencing the next generation of young lives – it is possible to be wonderfully poised to fulfill Jesus’ new commandment.  Seek God to be like Him!