In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. We often find ourselves caught up in the daily grind, forgetting the profound calling we have as followers of Christ. But what if we could rediscover the transformative power of discipleship? What if we could arrange our lives around becoming more like Jesus?
The challenge before us isn’t to lower the bar of discipleship, but to raise it. People are yearning for something more, something that stretches them beyond their comfort zones. They want to live for a purpose greater than themselves. This is where true discipleship comes into play.
At its core, discipleship is about transformation. It’s about allowing ourselves to be molded and shaped into the image of Christ. As we embark on this journey, we must remember that we are all being transformed into something or someone. The crucial question is: who or what are we becoming?
The litmus test for spiritual formation can be summed up in one word: love. Love is the acid test of our transformation. It’s not just about acting righteously, but loving righteousness itself. Jesus loved righteousness and hated wickedness. He didn’t just go through the motions; He embodied love in its purest form.
This brings us to the greatest commandments given by Jesus: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” These two commandments encapsulate the essence of what it means to follow Christ. They challenge us to love not just those who are easy to love, but also those who are difficult, different, or even considered outcasts by society.
Consider the story of Jesus healing the leper. In a time when lepers were shunned and feared, Jesus reached out and touched the untouchable. He didn’t recoil in disgust or fear; He extended compassion and healing. This is the kind of love we are called to emulate – a love that crosses boundaries, breaks down walls, and sees the inherent worth in every human being.
But how do we cultivate this Christ-like love in our lives? Here are six ways we can intentionally work towards becoming more like Jesus:
1. Study the teachings of Jesus: Immerse yourself in His words and teachings. Let them shape your worldview and guide your actions.
2. Engage in spiritual practices: Prayer, meditation, fasting – these ancient practices can help attune our hearts to God’s voice.
3. Get into community: We weren’t meant to walk this journey alone. Find a group of believers who can encourage, challenge, and support you.
4. Become sensitive to the Holy Spirit: Learn to listen for those gentle promptings. The Holy Spirit is our guide in this transformation process.
5. Invest time: Transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It requires intentional, consistent effort over time.
6. Embrace suffering: As counterintuitive as it may seem, our most difficult moments have the potential to forge our souls into the shape of Jesus.
This last point is particularly challenging. None of us naturally gravitate towards suffering. However, it’s often in our crucibles – those intense, fiery trials – that we are most profoundly shaped. When everything is going well, it’s easy to profess faith. But it’s in the valleys, the dark nights of the soul, that our faith is truly tested and refined.
Imagine waking up each morning with a simple prayer: “Help me to be like Jesus today.” How might that change the way you approach your work, your relationships, even mundane tasks like gardening or grocery shopping? What if, before reaching for our phones or asking for that first cup of coffee, we asked God to help us embody Christ’s love in every interaction?
This isn’t about perfection; it’s about intention. It’s about making a conscious choice, day after day, to apprentice under Jesus and follow His process of training. We may stumble, we may fall short, but with each choice to love, to forgive, to show compassion, we take one step closer to reflecting the image of our Savior.
As we embark on this journey of radical discipleship, let’s remember that transformation isn’t just for our own benefit. When we become more like Christ, it impacts our communities and, ultimately, our world. Transformed people lead to transformed communities, which can lead to transformed nations.
The call to discipleship is not an easy one. It requires us to die to ourselves daily, to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. But the rewards are immeasurable. As we allow ourselves to be shaped by Christ’s love, we begin to see the world through His eyes. We start to love the unlovable, reach out to the marginalized, and stand up for justice and righteousness.
In a world that often seems dark and divided, we have the opportunity to be beacons of Christ’s love. We can choose to love our Muslim neighbor, to welcome the asylum seeker, to show compassion to those society deems unworthy. This is what it means to be like Jesus.
So, let us raise the bar of discipleship. Let us embrace the challenge of becoming more like Christ each day. It won’t be easy, and there will be times when we fall short. But with each step, each choice to love, we draw closer to the heart of God and become more effective ambassadors of His kingdom.
As we go about our days, let’s continually ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” And then, empowered by His Spirit, let’s do it. Let’s live radically transformed lives that point others to the transformative power of Christ’s love. For it is in this journey of becoming like Jesus that we find our true purpose and the abundant life He promised.
