Looking More like Jesus

Romans 12

I remember being in high school and being trapped between wanting to share the Gospel with the girls on my cheer team and wanting to put my identity in boys. I wanted so badly to fall into the stereotype of having a cute cheerleader/football player relationship and I wanted it so badly I didn’t care if this football player really loved Jesus. I found one that was cute, liked me, and went to church on Sunday so I called it good. This led to me being in a very terrible ungodly relationship. I heart longed to see my friends come from death to life, but I realized as I continued to share the Gospel to them I also continued living in a sinful relationship that looked no different than some of theirs. 

I was speaking the truth of Jesus without fully living it and if I wasn’t living into my transformed life then why would someone desire to live any differently? 

In this chapter Paul really writes about the genuineness that our faith must require. He describes the character of Jesus as he tells the Romans how to be a true Christian and Jesus left no room to put His identity in anything else but the Father. 

As I read through this chapter I had to stop and think of my own current life. Am I loving others with a brotherly affection? Am I rejoicing with others' celebrations and weeping with others' sorrows? Am I serving, teaching, leading, being generous, and showing mercy? Or am I being conformed by the world? 

What’s helpful for me when I read through this chapter is to list out the characteristics of a true Christian in a list and reflect on my own life. Sometimes it is so clear where I am falling short and other times I have to pray the last two verses of Psalm 139 and ask God to reveal where I am not living like Christ. This is not to make a list of rules to follow and to feel shameful for the ways we aren’t looking like Jesus but to point us back to the truth.

The important thing to remember is that God has called us to be good and faithful servants and He gives us access to learn and grow and strengthen ourselves to do so by giving us the gift of His word. These are God’s holy words written through people that He spoke through. We are meant to use His word including this chapter as a guide to understand how to love Him and serve others to our fullest potential. 

Paul wrote these words to the Romans to call them up in their sin, but God continues to speak through it to us today. We can rest assured that the word is living and active even in the present day (Hebrews 4:12). 

If you are ever troubled with how you should be living as a genuine true Christian, look to Jesus’s life. He was the greatest servant, teacher, and leader. He rejoiced, He wept, He was patient. He gave to the poor, needy, and hungry. He ultimately gave His life as a living sacrifice knowing that we would never be able to fulfill the role of perfection but would need the beautiful gift of grace.

Write down a list of the characteristics that Paul describes and reflect on where you could look more like Jesus in your own life. Repent of the ways you are being conformed to the world and make an action step moving forward to share with trusted Christian.

Pray Psalm 139:23-24 and ask God to help you see where you are living like the word.