4 ways to be more like Jesus

As we carry out our walk in Christ, we know that we must throw off the old and put on the new. We know that we are filled with the Holy Spirit, even when we know our fruit doesn’t always reflect his presence.

I find that we have a tendency to ‘try’ under our own strength and skill to throw off the old. I keep thinking that we might be better off putting on the character of Christ instead. Perhaps instead of saying I should quit something, I need to start doing something else.

Paul tells us that we shouldn’t lie to one another since we ‘have taken off [our] old selves with its practices and put on the new self,’ (Col. 3:9-10) but it seems that we forget the next phrase in verse 10, ‘which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.’

Our new selves are being renewed by the inworking of the Holy Spirit and our co-laboring and working with him to make us new. The surrender to our Lord of the old leaves room for the new. So, let us put on the new, the character of the Creator.

1.     Compassionate

Merriam-Webster defines compassion as, ‘sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it.’ Is Jesus aware of others suffering and show a desire to give relief of that suffering? Without a doubt.

One of the examples of compassion that Jesus shows was during the conversations with Mary and Martha upon the death of their brother Lazarus, found in John 11. Even though Jesus knew that Lazarus would be raised in mere minutes, he still felt and shared in the grief that Mary and Martha experienced. Their experienced moved him to cry with them, to comfort them. He knew their feelings would be temporary and he still shared in their suffering.

2.     Forgiving

Forgiveness is perhaps the most difficult concept to write a definition for, at least it is if we leave God out of it, as many traditional dictionaries do. In Alive Again, I define forgiveness as ‘releasing our feelings about an offense and offender to God so that God can heal us of the hurt and injuries sustained in the offense.’

Jesus cried out to Father to forgive even those who hung him on the cross and divided up his clothes for themselves (Luke 23:34). The depth of the offense is great – unto death. And still Jesus forgave.

3.     Gentle

‘Free from harshness, sternness, or violence’, is how Merriam-Webster defines gentle. In his correction of others, Jesus was gentle. Consider the young rich man. Jesus could have simply described the offenses and the inaccurate assessment of himself that the young man made. Instead, Jesus invited the man to be as he declared, having kept all the commandments.

He did not call the man out as a liar but invited him to consider his own words and actions.

4.     Obedient

Jesus was ‘submissive to the restraint or command of authority’, particularly noting which authority was important to obey, as defined by Merriam-Webster. Jesus obeyed the authority of Father who sent him and recognized as well the authority of the local Roman government.

When challenged as to the appropriateness of paying taxes, Jesus said to give to man what is his and to God what is his. He did not undermine the law of the local government while also highlighting that God has asked for us to turn to him as well.

Jesus is much more than only four characteristics. Perhaps we can continue in our walk by choosing one to being putting on, as Paul tells us to in collaboration with the Holy Spirit. Becoming more like Jesus is what we are called to in our walk, yet we seem focused on the knowledge more than the doing. ‘Trust in the Lord and do good,’ (Ps. 37:3). Trust in who the Spirit is making you to be. What characteristic are you putting on? Drop a line below and let us know.