Looking Like Jesus Part 1 - SURRENDER

So many people in this world today are wandering aimlessly. They don’t know what their purpose is or why they are here. Young people waste their lives, saying they are trying to find themselves. As Christians, we shouldn’t be like that. We have a purpose and we know what it is.

Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.

We have a purpose!! Our purpose is to be conformed to the image of His Son. We are to look like Jesus. That’s our job, that’s our reason for being here.  So what does that look like? As God’s daughters, how do we look like Jesus?

Surrender

Philippians 2:5-8 - Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

He emptied Himself. He surrendered completely. His will became whatever God’s will was. He lived to serve the Father, to complete His work. Jesus emptied Himself and died on the cross to save us.

How do we surrender like Jesus did? How do we make this part of our daily lives?

As young women, we dream of our lives as wives and mothers. We dream of our Prince Charming, how he will look, how he will come and sweep us off our feet. We dream of our perfect wedding, the dress, the flowers, how amazing our Prince Charming will look in that black tux. Then we dream of the perfect house with the white picket fence, in the perfect neighborhood, and our 2.5 perfect children. What wonderful dreams.

Then reality hits. Some of us never find that Prince Charming. No one sweeps us off our feet. We don’t find anyone to share our lives with. How do we deal with that? Do we become desperate, looking for anyone who will give us some attention? Or… Do we surrender? God knows what we are wanting, even before we do. He knows what we need and He knows what’s best for us. God’s timing is not ours. We may want something right now but God gives us what we need in His time. So are you supposed to live your life alone? Maybe, maybe not. But if you are alone, spend that alone time getting closer to God. Dwell in His Word. Grow closer to God in every way possible. Let Him decide where you go from here. Surrender!

Surrender and contentment go hand in hand. But contentment is hard work. Contentment is defined as the state of being contented; satisfaction; ease of mind. Content is to be satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.

We are to be content with what we have, who we are. That is not to say we don’t try to improve ourselves, but we must accept what is not in our power to change. That’s surrender. Alcoholics Anonymous, among other groups, use a prayer as part of their program.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.  This is a prayer that we, as God’s children, should be praying for ourselves every day. This is a prayer asking for the contentment and surrender that will help us be like Jesus.

But let’s imagine further. You’ve found that Prince Charming, you had the perfect wedding. But Prince Charming isn’t as charming as we dreamed. But news flash, you aren’t perfect either. Marriage is the union of two imperfect people who are going to blend their lives. I promise, it isn’t going to be without road bumps, fights and disappointments. Don’t be surprised when things don’t go smoothly. But don’t become bitter either. Look at 1 Corinthians 13 and remind yourself of what love looks like, then put those characteristics into practice in your marriage.

I’ve long believed that a lot of the disappointments in marriage come about when we forget who is our joy and fulfilment. Marriage is a union of two individuals and is a beautiful thing. God ordained marriage as two becoming one flesh. So much happiness can be found in marriage. But we are creatures who were created for a purpose – to be conformed to the image of His Son. Our joy and contentment come from God, not from the perfect marriage or the perfect children or the perfect job or the perfect face/body. You get the idea. Apply the things Jesus taught to your marriage like you do to your other relationships. Love, forgive, encourage, support.

If you are blessed with children, be thankful. There are many who never had that opportunity. I pray that they found contentment in their situation. There are many who have children that have serious illnesses or who have had to say goodbye to those children long before they hoped. I pray they found comfort and contentment in God. There are many who have been disappointed by the choices their children have made in this life. This too is a place where we need to find comfort from God. Children are not perfect – they are individuals who make their own choices and decisions, just like spouses. Remember that your purpose in life comes from God, not from your children or your marriage or your job.

We need to work every day to surrender to God’s purpose for our lives. We should spend every day working as hard as we can to be just like Jesus. We need to surrender every part of our lives; our marriages, our jobs, what we want for our children, how we spend the moments of our lives and our health.

How do you respond when your day doesn’t go as you planned? Do you try to make things go the way you wanted them to or do you surrender and strive to be peaceful about the way things turned out? Think about this, please. Every situation asks for a response from us. And every time we give a response to a situation, others are watching us, watching to see how we respond to the disappointments and discouragements of life. Are you conformed to the image of Jesus? Do you shine as lights to a dying world?

Next Week - Looking Like Jesus Part 2 - FORGIVING