A Reflection On Becoming Like Christ

When I want to be more like Jesus

One of the ways we can determine whether we are becoming Christlike is to see how we act in a crisis. When the pressure is on, what motives will direct us? Jesus was clear about His purpose in coming to Jerusalem; He would die there. And now the time had come. Jesus did not ask God to save Him from this hour (see John 12:27), but when He got to the garden of Gethsemane, He wanted to know if it would be possible for the cup of suffering to pass Him by (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22). In the middle of His crisis, though, one motive still guided Him: He preferred the glory of God’s name over His own self-preservation. God’s reputation weighed heavier on His heart than His own comfort and life.

It is God’s plan for you to be conformed to the image of His Son. Examine your motives, especially in the midst of a crisis. Do you prefer the glory of God to your own escape? Imitate Christ. Let your actions glorify God.

[Jesus said,] “Should I pray, ‘‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name.”

John 12:27-28