Becoming Christlike

     I can't believe it's March already! This year has admittedly been stressful for me. It was stressful this time last year too but the circumstances have changed so much. I've done more growing up than I expected to as well as less. Some things are the same though. While I've been able to move on from some things, there are always things that I still struggle to let go of or learn from. There are things that I wish were different but based on the state of the world, I don't know how to change them. I still fight with my sister and I still take things too seriously. There are days when I'm still petty and I overreact. I feel my emotions often more deeply than I would like to admit. Especially when I'm tired, everything seems to get to me. And in my head, I know I'm being dramatic and overreacting but I can't stop feeling those things and it can be hard to act in spite of them. Being kind is hard when I'm having a pity party, let me tell you. Another thing that's hard is I know that it isn't actually a big deal. What I'm feeling now probably won't matter in a couple of months, let alone a year. I'm also in a better place than I was a couple of years ago so I feel like I have no reason to complain, especially because there are people in worse circumstances than I'm in. Maybe this is just a girl thing, I don't know. 

    Last month, I did a Gospels in thirty days reading plan because if being a Christian is living like Jesus did, I need to know how He lived. In church a lot of the time, we talk about Jesus as the Son of God, which He is and I don't want to disregard that, but I think it's also important to acknowledge Jesus as the son of man. He knew what it was like to be tired and cross and stressed. He knew what it was like to be betrayed, abandoned, and rejected. However, He always had so much compassion! He was kind and merciful and that always took precedence over whatever else He was feeling. That's honestly what stood out to me the most. If someone is unkind to me, I struggle to be civil, let alone forgiving in the moment. We always talk about the verse in 1 John 4, "greater is the He who is in you than he who is in the world," and I believe that it is true, that God is greater than all of this, but I think we use it selectively. We apply it to less than ideal circumstances and trials rather than our faults, the dark places inside of us. Jesus was able to overcome His human nature because God and His love were so big and prevalent inside of Him and the same needs to be true of us. God already is greater but sometimes we don't give Him the opportunity to be. Let Him be greater than what you're feeling and the limits you put on yourself. 

    The Bible talks of unsurpassable love and calls Christians to live in that. In 1 Corinthians, Paul says that if we don't love, we are nothing. God's love in us needs to be bigger and stronger than anything else we're feeling. That's the biggest problem with Christianity today. Christians are some of the most judgmental and cruel people you will ever come across and my heart breaks for it. More than once, I wish there was another word I could use because "Christian" comes with such a horrible reputation. There's segregation even in the church and not just because of the color of your skin. Differences take precedence over faith. If we really lived out what we believed, that Jesus died out of love for the whole world, things would be so different. We'd have less racism, fewer abortions and mental illnesses, less suicide, and that's just a start. The world would be a far better place to live. And this isn't to say that Jesus was not outspoken and that He didn't challenge the systems in place. He most certainly did but He did it with love. He used correction instead of condemnation and showed forgiveness in place of judgement. Is it so hard for us to live like this? Before anything else, we need to show love. That's why Jesus came to die in the first place, because He loved us. Showing love is one of the most important things in being Christlike.

    I know I still have so much to learn not just as a Christian but as a person. This is yet another one of those things that I'm still trying to figure out. I'm so grateful for God's grace and goodness because I mess up all the tine. February was particularly challenging for me. Even if I can't find it in me to love or have patience, I pray that God can still find ways to let His love be shown through me. I want His love to be more important than anything else I could be feeling and for it to give me patience and compassion. I hope that every day I'm becoming more like Jesus. Last year, I really started to make God a priority and started trying to put Him first. It's not easy, I am a selfish creature, but I like to think that, at least in this, I have grown and I am getting better. If I've learned anything, it's that I genuinely need Him and I'm glad not to be alone. I know I'm not where I need to be but again, God is greater and I trust that He has a plan for me. 

    Learn to love. I know I've said this often but start in the little things. Do dishes or laundry when you see that they need to be done. Unfortunately we can't really smile at anyone now but be polite to the people you encounter. Love is as much an action as it is a feeling. Be a light to the people around you in everything that you do. I pray that God blesses you and that this month is good for you. Thank you so much for reading!

Yours truly,

Rey.