Reflecting Jesus

And we... are being transformed into the Lord's image with ever-increasing glory... (2 Corinthians 3:18)

When you spend time with someone, especially a powerful personality that you very much admire, you start unconsciously imitating them. You repeat some of their wisdom. You reference some of their stories. You absorb their mannerisms, their accent--and especially their attitude.

That's our job as Christians. We want to imitate the attitude of Jesus (Philippains 2:5). We want to steep ourselves in the heart of our heavenly Father (Matthew 7:11). We want to have the mind of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).

How do we spend time with God, in order to get to become imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1)? It begins with Bible reading, getting to see for ourselves what God says through prophets, through Scripture, and (especially) through his Son, Jesus our Lord. It continues with practice--from doing the things that Jesus tells us to do, in order that we might truly get to know him (John 7:17). Finally, it involves "going to church"--gathering with other Christians so that we can encourage each other in our reading and obeying of Scripture, to see in one another what God's image looks in everyday life.

As we seek to follow Jesus, God shows himself to us. And we start to look like him.

As we seek to follow Jesus, God shows himself to us. And we start to look like him.

Scripture admits that we all are fallible humans, and don't perfectly reflect what God is like (1 Corinthians 13:12). But in small ways, we begin to see in each other Jesus' attitude of humility, God's desire to bring healing and life, the Spirit's deep wisdom that pierces beyond appearance. There is something glorious about a life that reflects our glorious Creator.

Join us in this great work, in our Sunday worship (10 a.m.), our Wednesday evening Bible study (6 p.m.), or in anything else we do to try to follow Jesus together. And if you want to see us at our most informal and fun, I suggest joining us at our annual Church Picnic, Sunday June 28, at 4:30 at the Laughlintown Community Center.

--Jonathan