Are You Looking More Like Jesus?   

After our newest grandchild was born last week, I was asked a common question by several curious individuals – “Who does he look like?” When newborns arrive, we often try to discern who he resembles the most. Is it his dad? Mom? One of his siblings? Maybe even a grandparent? As is often the case, on the actual day he was born I couldn’t figure out any such similarities to other family members. He just looked like a newly birthed baby. However, when I saw him again a few days later, I thought that I recognized some similarities between a couple of his facial expressions and those of one of his brothers or his father. It is still too early to be able to say for sure. Time will tell. But regardless of whomever he may share some physical characteristics with, he will always be his own unique person.

  That is the way it is, or should be, when it comes to us and Jesus. If we have experienced the spiritual birth that our Savior referred to in John 3, then we should resemble Him in some ways. I like the way it is put in Romans 13:14, where we are exhorted to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”. Although the wording suggests putting on Jesus in a similar way to which a person might pull a shirt on over his head or slip his arms into a jacket, that isn’t really how we come to look like Jesus. It doesn’t occur from simply putting on an outward appearance of Christlikeness. It isn’t the result of donning a mask or a holy robe that causes us to share those qualities that we associate with Jesus. It starts on the inside.

If our new grandson does end up looking like someone else, it won’t be because he has altered his outward appearance in order to do so. It will be because of his genetic makeup. It is what is on the inside that will make him resemble his brother or his father. And that is how it works with us too. We need to be changed on the inside in order for us to look like Jesus outwardly. We must have His Spirit living in us in order for those characteristics to shine forth in our lives. We do clothe ourselves with Jesus, but it springs forth from within us – from having been born of the Spirit and our yielding to His work in our hearts.

However, even then, let’s not think that we are going to look exactly like Jesus. Sometimes we may pray for God to get “self” out of the way and let people only see Jesus in us. While that may be a valid request, let’s not expect God to do something He doesn’t intend to do. He still wants us to be us. He created you as a unique individual. He doesn’t want to completely wipe you out of the picture and replace you with Jesus. No, He wants you to let Jesus live in and through you. Jesus’ characteristics should be becoming more evident in our lives, but they are manifested through our unique personalities and abilities. Granted, anything in ourselves that is sinful or selfish or that is contrary to those Jesus-like qualities needs to be removed or changed. However, the goal isn’t to get rid of who we are. It is to make us, with our particular traits, resemble Jesus more and more.

Our new grandson may share traits with other family members, but he will always be a unique individual. And so are we as followers of Jesus. Let Him work in you to make you more like Him, but He still wants you to be you – the best and most Christlike you that you can be.