The other day I watched my daughter playing in my bedroom. My wife was on the computer working away busily, when Isabella ran up beside her. Isabella reached up and grasped for the mouse, which Tia obligingly gave to her. It’s a cordless mouse, which Isabella looked at and grasped in her hands. She then began poking at it with a finger and then threw it on the floor. It was really funny to watch her trying to figure out how to use this thing that her parents use; desperately wanting to be a part of what was going on. It struck me that she was trying to be like us; which made me ask, “How dedicated am I to being like God?” How often are you trying to be like God?
In the Scriptures, God calls us to ‘Be Holy, as I am Holy’ (1 Peter 1:16). Have you ever really thought about that? Have you ever caught yourself telling someone “watch me” when trying to teach a skill? God does the same thing. He not only tells us how he wants us to live (it’s woven through the whole Bible) but then He also says, now watch me! Jesus was God walking on earth showing and telling us how God wants us to live. Jesus was the demonstration of the life God calls us to. Yet, this is still not enough, we fail even when we have a visual example set in front of our face. The longer I live and continue to sin, the more I feel unworthy of God’s compassion. We continually fail, but I sense God is pleased in our trying. David tells us in the Psalms that the desire of God is a broken and contrite heart. (psalm 51:17) In essence, David is saying that God wants us to be devoted to him even when we fail, not half hearted in pursuit.
In soccer, we tell the players that they have to be the one to get to the ball first. They have to want to get it. If the ball is half way between two people, the one who wants it more will get it. Our spiritual lives are the same way, God does not expect us to be perfect, Scripture even says ‘there is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). The holiness that He calls us to is in our devotion to Him. We can not purify ourselves, God has to be the one to refine us, God just calls us to step into the fire. Jesus never told anyone to go change yourself without doing something to them. He tells the woman caught in adultery ‘Go and leave your life of sin’ (John 8:11) but only after He acts in her life. He removes condemnation and guilt and gives her the gift of life. He sees through the charade of the religious leaders, to their hearts, and condemns them for being religious for their own benefit. The Pharisees are not seeking God they are seeking their own self. God confronts them many times and rebukes them. He always welcomes children and people who are looking for help.
Are you looking to Christ? Are you imitating Him? Are you looking beyond yourself to improve or are you doing what you can to be the best you can? There is something fundamentally flawed about being the best you can. We cannot change or better ourselves. It is only God working in us. We need to understand that the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. ( 1 Cor 3:19) God does not call us to understand Him, He calls us to come to Him.
The truth is I don’t love Isabella because she was trying to be like me, it is because she comes to me and loves me and listens to me. We know each other. It is the same with God, He does not want a shadow, but rather a son or daughter, someone who is interested in His ways and more importantly in Him. Check your heart today. Are you simply doing the religious thing because it is something to do? Or are you seeking to be like God because you love Him and want to please Him. It is an important distinction. I hope you are pursuing relationship.
God be with you!
Pastor Mike