In The Image.

Wednesday, February 02, 2011
In The Image. There’s a statement I’ve heard an awful lot as of late from folks, especially on FaceBook statuses. I think it’s rooted in the independent spirit that's inside each of us, and it traces itself all the way back to the Garden of Eden. “I’m going to do it my way.” There’s a sad truth that comes to those with this as their life’s mantra, though – there’s no such thing as your way.
Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes that there was “nothing new under the sun.” That’s so very true. Anything we can come up with to do has been done before. So it stands to reason that when we want to do it “our way” and be “our own person”, we really aren’t. All we’re doing is subscribing to someone else’s way, and becoming more like them.
Case in point – someone will say they don’t need church because they don’t want to try to fit into “someone else’s mold.” Well, while I can see what you may mean, by avoiding church you ARE fitting into someone else’s mold. It’s just not God’s.
Scripture says that God has created us in His own image. That means a lot of things, but mainly it means that we are a triune being – we have three parts just like He does. God is Father, Son, and Spirit. We are body, mind, and soul. So there we are – in His image. Yet later on in the New Testament, God inspires His men to write about us being “conformed into the image of Christ,” of having the “mind of Christ.” This opens up a whole new can of worms.
God wants us to look like Jesus – to pattern our life after Him. Many write that off as unrealistic and unattainable and use that as an excuse to quit. I would counter that God would not call us to something that we could never achieve. Of course we can look like Jesus. We will battle a sin nature as long as we are on earth, but the attributes of Jesus can grow more and more ingrained into our lives every day that we serve Him.
When we live for doing things “our way,” we aren’t stepping out on our own on some brave new adventure where our courage is plainly seen by all…we’re simply making a choice. We are simply choosing to look like the world instead of Jesus. It’s just that cut and dried. And we can make that choice, it’s true. You can choose to live your life your way instead of His way. And it’ll seem fun for a while. And you’ll appear to have some great friends for a while. The Word even says that “sin is pleasurable for a season.” But just like beautiful summertime in Arkansas, all seasons will come to an end.
Today I’m challenging you to think about the choice of who you want to look like as a road. Jesus said one is wide and popular, and the other is narrow and few walk it. And each road ends up somewhere. Jesus said the wide road leads to destruction, and the narrow road leads to life. Doesn’t life sound much better, especially when it’s an eternal time frame?
Choose Jesus by asking Him to forgive your sin and be your Savior. And then keep choosing Him daily as you live for Him and grow into looking more like Him for the benefit of the lost around you. The truth of the matter is that whatever road we choose will also be chosen by many who follow our lead. Wouldn’t it be tragic to lead so many to that eternal destruction Jesus talked about, when life was just one choice away for us and them?



That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake

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