Becoming Like Jesus (Part 1: God's Goal)

Since the discovery and adoption of books as part of our civilization, many people have tried to pen down their thoughts on the subject of goals, goal-setting, and goal-pursuit. One of the more common questions in public discourse is, “How do I properly set goals?” The reason for this is not far-fetched: human beings are wired to journey towards a target. Whether expressed through adventuring, volunteering, or some sort of job, people involve themselves in certain projects, jobs, tasks, or responsibilities per time to maintain a semblance of direction. Without this aim, they feel unrest and unfulfilled.

Interestingly, the most important aim-related question remains unsatisfactorily answered or even unanswered for most people; and I daresay that this is the reason that many feel unfulfilled, in spite of their accomplishments and life experiences. The question, which can be asked a variety of different ways, would read “What is the goal of your life?”. This question often finds varied answers across different belief systems and philosophies.

Some Christians might quickly answer “to go to heaven”. But you see, the problem is, if that was the goal all the while, then it would make more sense for God to receive you into Heaven the moment you began to follow Jesus.

God answers this question himself in four words: “To Become like Jesus”. Paul puts it this way, in his letter to the believers at Rome: God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. (Romans 8:29 MSG)

You see, we were not meant to go through life trying to figure out how to live. We were not created to be better versions of ourselves. No. God intends that we become like Jesus! This is the goal. This is God’s dream. This is why Christians are called Followers of Jesus.

A most wonderful thing about becoming like Jesus is that He provides all the ability required for us to conform more to His image. More than a lecture on “what to do’, and ‘how to do, Jesus releases supernatural strength and grace for His followers to actually be changed into His likeness.

So the lady who would see this transformation must have her arrowhead pointing towards Jesus. She would be asking, ‘how can I be more like Jesus in the way I speak? Or the way I listen? Or in the thoughts I have towards people?”

A couple that pursues this goal would bring down the fragrance of Heaven into their home. This might sound too simple to be true, until you realize that many of the things that break families apart stem from the same roots of selfishness, impatience, etc,

If a husband pursues God’s dream of becoming like Jesus, he will have such love and patience towards his wife than she could ever deserve. This is because he will learn to love like Jesus loves, and you see, this love of Christ is both unconditional and beyond comprehension. In the same vein, the wife who agrees with God to seek this goal of His will have such regard and love for her husband. She would see how Jesus, despite being God, submitted Himself to the will of the Father and humbled Himself to die on the cross.

Many college campuses will be radically changed if Christian students prioritized this inner metamorphosis. How beautiful will it be if every student asked Christ, “What would you look like if you were a student like me?” and spent the rest of their college career pursuing that. When this happens, it would no longer be necessary to put on T-shirts that show that people belong to Christian groups; the life will speak for itself.

Imagine what the public and private sectors would look like if both employers and employees alike sought to become like Jesus. It would certainly bear upon how they handle their vocations and carry out their responsibilities. For one, we wouldn’t need anti-graft measures because people would have nothing to do with corruption. Moreover, leaders will serve selflessly and lead by example.

This sounds like a utopia, but it is not. The fragrance of Christ from the Life of one man is able to kick-start a transformation in the life of another. It took one Jesus Christ to change His entire world; imagine if there were many more like Him today?