To Be Like...

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Some years ago, a major sports-drink company ran a popular ad campaign that encouraged people to “BE LIKE MIKE,” the legendary NBA star, Michael Jordan. You heard it everywhere, “I want to be like Mike!”

Ads like that work because most people dream of being gorgeous, rich, famous, or talented. Turn on the TV, listen to the radio, read any newspaper or magazine and you are bombarded with pressure to be like Mike, or Adele, or Brad, or Angelina, or Kate, or…you get the point. “Wear these,” “Drink this,” “Eat this,” “Dial with this,” “Drive this,” “Use this,” and if you do, poof, you will be gorgeous, famous, talented, and you’ll smell good too!

The thing that is missing here is that unless you know someone intimately, you’ll never know what he/she is really like, and as a result you’ll never be like that person at all. If you really want to be like Mike, you have got to know the real Mike, not the one you see in TV ads. I’d say the best way to get to know him is to get thrashed several times in a game of one-on-one. By doing so, you’ll know him a lot better than by slipping into his favorite, advertised boxers!

The same is true about knowing Jesus. If you really want to be like Him, you have to get to know Him personally, not just what a preacher said about Him, or what your parents said about Him, or what your friends say about Him.

The apostle Paul cried out, “That I may KNOW Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.” (Philippians 3:10)

So how can you get to know Jesus Christ personally? You can always listen to what others say about Him, but is that enough? I don’t think so, because you are only hearing about what they know about Him. Just listening to your pastor, or youth leaders, or TV evangelist, or friends, or family tell you about Christ is not enough. You have to go farther. You have to go one-on-one with Jesus.

No one can get close to God on your behalf. No one can read, study, memorize, and meditate on the Word of God for you. No one can invest time in daily, personal, private interaction with Christ on your behalf. No one can pray and pour out their heart to God to be accounted on your behalf. And, certainly, no one can listen as the Lord pours His Word back to you that can be accounted on your behalf.  

It’s your choice—and challenge—to get to know Him. And when you do, you will become more like Him.