Do Not Seek To Be Like Jesus

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:5-7 NASB2020

Goals are important for helping us to move forward in our lives. Moreover, setting attainable goals is key to having building blocks of successes. Imagine someone saying, “I am going to train hard everyday to develop my arm strength so that one day I can launch myself off a building, and fly under my own power like a bird.” While we can admire the dedication, we would likely consider this person to be ridiculous. Being unrealistic with your goals is a foolish habit that creates an environment to fail. Unfortunately, this is a trap into which we too often fall.

For years I’ve had my WWJD keychain with me as I go throughout my day. As I considered the worn, metal reminder recently, I was struck by the idea of, do we consider equality with Jesus as something to be grasped? Jesus, who had “already existed in the form of God,” who is Elohim, a part of The Trinity and Godhead, “emptied Himself” as He was poured into a new vessel “in the likeness of men.” Although He was still connected to God, He “did not consider equality with God” as something to achieve. Why then would we, who are lesser than Jesus, seek to hold ourselves to His standard? What would Jesus do? He would leave Heaven, live a sinless life, and offer up His body as the lamb whose blood atones for the sins of all mankind. Jesus would go to the grave to conquer death and be resurrected to reign at God’s side. While there were certainly lessons that He taught us, Jesus’ standard is not one to which we humans can hold.

A human can never fly on their own, like a bird, because they are not of the same make up. This concept is also why we cannot seek to be like Jesus. The moon will never light up the darkness like the sun because they are not made of the same material. The dust, on the surface of the moon, has the potential to shine, but it needs the sun for that property to be realized. Were the moon able to be proud of the light it showers on the Earth, it would be unearned as, without the true source of light, the moon is only capable of drifting in the darkness of space. We are like the moon in that we can shine with the light of The Son. Jesus is the source and made of different material than we moons. While we are capable of shining brightly, we also go through phases where the world gets between us and Jesus, and we might not reflect Him as we could. Yet, He is always there, ready for us to come out of the shadows, turn our face to Him, and shine to the fullness of our potential.

So if we realize that setting our own standards on those of Jesus has us destined to fail, where do we begin? If we are to set attainable goals then let us ask better questions. What would Jesus have me do? Or, to stick with the premise of the keychain, what would Peter do? What would John do? What would Paul do?

Peter, who was so full of faith in Jesus, that he would step out of a boat, in the middle of a storm, to walk to Him on the water. Peter would proclaim at the last supper to never leave Jesus’ side, but then deny even knowing Him when He was on trial a few hours later. He would then overcome this shame to be a prominent organizer for the Church of Christ. At the end of his life, Peter would be so opposed to being on equal standing with Jesus that he would request being crucified upside down to forego the honor. Goals: stepping out in faith, overcome failures, be a leader

John came to be Jesus’ disciple as a young man, and was full of zeal to see the Messiah’s wrath unfold on the undeserving. His relationship with Jesus would temper him towards love for all mankind. John would stay near to Jesus through the grueling events of the trial and crucifixion. He would accept Jesus’ mother as if she were his own and take her into his own home. He would encourage others through numerous writings, and walk closely in The Spirit to his old age. Goals: self-improvement, be there for people in hard times, encourage your fellow believers

Saul would embrace that he was a new creation as Paul after his conversion. He would walk away from his prominent status to be a missionary for Jesus Christ. While he occasionally got into disputes with other apostles, he did much to bring the gentile nations to the knowledge of the Messiah being the way of salvation to all mankind. Goals: don’t let your past define you, try to get along with others, do kingdom work

Flawed individuals living as best they can to walk the path of righteousness and seek God’s will for their lives. This is a realistic goal for which we can seek to reach. Like little moons in the darkness, “Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 NASB2020

What goals do you set for yourself? Are they attainable or so lofty as to not be reached? Do your goals align with God’s? May The Spirit open your insight and you shine with the fullness of light.