Well I never thought I’d hear a pastor say THAT…
Can we all just stop trying to be like Jesus? Please. Can we do that?” said Mr. Preacher Man.
Wait. Did I hear right? A Christian pastor winding down his Bible-saturated, make-much-of-God sermon with this final appeal: STOP trying to be like Jesus? That’s risky.
Controversial.
Counter-intuitive.
Perhaps a little crazy.
And. Spot. On.
…Instead of trying so hard to be LIKE Jesus can we all make it our goal to be WITH Jesus?” he continued.
Oh how my Pentecostal bones wanted to jump and shout “Hallelujah!” Buuuut I managed a more refined, soft-spoken, “Amen”.
What truth! To be with Jesus – YES! – that’s what it’s all about.
And yet – don’t we make it about everything BUT that sometimes? We mistakenly turn relationship into rules; discipleship into duty; people into property. With a hunger to prove our righteousness we can manufacture all kinds of good works, efforts that become the crosses we bear. Indeed, it is all too easy to make it our goal to be like Jesus than to be with Jesus.
There’s something we must understand.
Jesus didn’t come to make us better people.
Let me say it again with added nuance: Jesus didn’t come, dwell among men, die a brutal death, and rise from the dead with the primary goal of making us better, nicer people. He came – first and foremost – that we may have LIFE (John 10:10). And not just life eternal, life now! – in the richest, fullest sense of the word.
Life isn’t found in rules and duty and programs. Life – real life – is found in the presence of the Lord.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11
The author of these words, King David, knew where true life, joy, and pleasure are found: in the presence of the Lord. David had a kind of intimacy with the Lord that I long for in my own journey. For almost two decades Psalm 63 has fueled my prayers; listen to these beautiful words…
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you…
I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!
I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.
Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
Does this not sound like the sappiest, most desperate of love letters?! Would you not blush to read such an entry in someone’s diary about their lover? You get the impression that David loved – like really loved – the Lord!
This is the kind of relationship I want with the Lover Of My Soul. To search for, thirst for, long for, see, gaze, lift up, be satisfied, lie awake, meditate, sing for joy, and cling to the ONE whose unfailing love is better than life itself!
And that’s why He came! He came to offer us this kind of relationship with the Father, not to make us better people or call us to do His work.
Now, I make such a bold statement being equally convinced that when we spend time with the Father we naturally become more like Him. My own children, while not perfect reflections, display certain attitudes and behaviors indicative of my husband and myself as their parents (for better or for worse!). So it is with God. To dwell with Him as a child to a Father is to know Him – through talking, listening, and learning. To abide with the Father is to observe as a curious child the way He works, how He communicates, and what He values. Children naturally tend to imitate those they admire and look up to. So when Paul urges us to, “Be imitators of God, as beloved children,” we must see that relationship precedes action.
Likewise, in our family every child is assigned responsibilities to help us do what we do. That is not to say, however, that we gave birth to those children so that they would do the work we need them to do. I think the difference is clear here. However, when it comes to a relationship with our Heavenly Father it seems that many people have it in their minds that God draws some people to Himself because He needs them to do His work. This idea is veiled in such piety and servitude that we rarely detect it for the lie that it is. Can we consider for a moment that the God who made man from the dust of the earth and breathed galaxies into existence doesn’t need our help? Isn’t it more likely that God invites His children to join Him in labor for the same reasons you and I bring our own children into any process: to teach and empower, interact and engage, and to enjoy life’s sweet rewards together?
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” John 15:4
Jesus didn’t come to make you better,” concluded Mr. Preacher, “He came to make you NEW!”
And to that I give a hearty A-men!
In closing, take a moment and spend some time with Jesus honestly answering these questions:
- Is my faith built on keeping some set of rules or building a relationship with Christ?
- Do I serve out of religious duty or out of delight in the Lord?
- Am I striving to be like Jesus or spending time with Jesus?
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Niki Schemanski is a wife of eighteen years and homeschooling mother of three children. As a child her love of singing led her into the world of pageants where she won numerous titles, including Miss National Pre-Teen, and traveled nationally to perform and speak. At seventeen her love of singing was joined with a newfound love for Jesus thus birthing the heart of a worship leader, a role she has served in both professionally and voluntarily for sixteen years. She and her family reside in Durango, Colorado. (Read More: About The Author)