UPRISING

It's Sunday, the busiest day of my week, and typically one of my favourites.  Today was no exception.  After church, I picked up some groceries for the dinner I was preparing for a bunch of Univ/College students, proceeded by lunch with a wonderful group of people.  I went back to the church to set things up so the worship team could practice, then cooked supper while preparing the evening for the bible study the College students would be joining me for.

The study we're doing is based on Erwin McManus' book Uprising. The whole series deals with revolutionizing your soul and in turn your life. "This is the ultimate destination," says Erwin, "to become the person God dreams of and to share those dreams with others." Tonight was session 2 of a 6 part series.  

Near the end of the lesson we read 1 John 2:6 "Here's how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: Keep his commandments.  If someone claims, "I know him well!" but doesn't keep his commandments, he's obviously a liar. His life doesn't match his words. But the one who keeps God's word is the person in whom we see God's mature love. This is the only way to be sure we're in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived."

This was such an intimidating verse, yet we agreed that we ought to be daily striving to live like Jesus. In fact it was the last line of that verse which captivated us, living the same kind of life Jesus did, how incredibly hard, if not impossible is that.  Yet that is what we are called to do.  It is God’s plan for each of us that we “be conformed to the likeness of his Son” (Romans 8:29). Even in this life, we “are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Paul labored with the Galatians “until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). He told the Ephesians that our goal is “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

So may people see following Christ as full of limitations to living a full life, but my experience has been that it offers the most freeing and full life possible. Which brings me to the final question we were asked to explore, the one that empassioned me, "What excites you about becoming like Jesus?" 

Think of it - as we grow and strive to walk in the will of God, to trust God and live like Jesus, our lives are transformed.  The most exciting pursuit is the pursuit of God.  There is no one else alive or dead, famous or rich that I would like to strive to become.  In becoming like Christ, not only will I gain the whole world but I will also save my soul!  It means overcoming my giants.  Becoming like Christ, means that I become a person of greater compassion, forgiveness, mercy and love.  It means that I walk in the power of God, power to perform miracles.  Becoming more like Christ means living in the perfect will of God, living a life of victory.

I am not even close to being like Christ, but since I began following Him, my life has been transformed and I have experienced the excitement of the journey in ways I could have never imagined.

Take the time to think about this, and feel free to share your answers in the comment section "What excites YOU about becoming like Jesus?"