Who do you look like?
Have you ever seen something under construction and tried to guess what it is?
Sometimes you can guess what is being built because it looks like a bank. Or it resembles a restaurant. Based on what it looks like you can make a good guess about what it will be.
We do this with places but we also do this with people.
So you’ve probably asked this question before too, Who do I resemble?
The other night our family was sitting together around the dinner table and the kids started asking us and each other this question, Who do I look like? Do I look more like mom or more like dad?
That’s when they got up from the dinner table and started to stand by my wife for us to look at their faces and compare.
And you know how this conversation goes… Well, let’s see. I think you have mom’s eyes. And you’ve got dad’s smile. But, you look more like mom. And, you look more like your dad.
There’s something within us, something about us, we want to know who we look like.
Who do we look like?
It’s a fun question for us to think about but it’s also an important question. Not just in terms of, Do you look more like your mom or your dad? But for us as a believing community, I think this is an important question.
Who do we resemble?
As a believing community, who do we look like?
We know who we’re supposed to look like, but that’s not the question. The question is, who do we look like?
For those of us who have decided that Jesus is who He says He is, that Jesus is the Son of the Living God… we want to look like Jesus. We want to resemble Him.
Looking Like Jesus
This was the same desire that the Apostle Paul had for every follower of Jesus. He wanted every follower of Jesus in every place to resemble Jesus. To look like Jesus.
In Colossians 3.12, Paul wrote these words…
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
I know, the word “holy” is a church word. We don’t really use this word much outside of church. Holy literally means to be other. Or, another way to say it is to be different.
We are called to be holy. To be other. To be different. And Paul tells us exactly how we are supposed to be different.
Tenderhearted Mercy
We must clothe ourselves with tenderhearted mercy.
Tenderhearted mercy? That’s not normal.
Normal = Judgmental. It’s demanding my rights. My way. It’s complaining when I don’t get what I want. Saying things aren’t fair. Blaming people who don’t do what I like. Becoming upset and angry when people change things. Having no compassion, no mercy, no forgiveness in your heart for others.
Jesus? Jesus requires tenderhearted mercy.
It’s hard to look at Jesus on the cross and complain that you’re being treated unfairly and demanding your rights.
Kindness
We must clothe ourselves with kindness.
Kindness? That’s not Normal.
Normal = You had it coming to you. You deserve exactly what you got. Tough luck Charlie!
Jesus? Jesus requires kindness.
It’s hard to look at Jesus on the cross and the price he willingly paid for you and then tell someone else they got what they deserved.
Humility
We must clothe ourselves with humility.
Humility? That’s not Normal.
Normal = look at me! Why aren’t you looking at me? Look at what I did. How good I am. How good my ideas are. Give me attention. Recognition. Praise. Put me on a pedestal. I want to be famous. I want the attention. The honor. The praise. I may not say that out loud because I want you to think I’m humble, but I want all of that so badly!
Jesus? Jesus requires humility.
It’s hard to look at Jesus who humbled himself on the cross and then say look at me and how good I am. It’s hard to look at our Savior who made himself nothing and then spend all our days living for our own glory.
Gentleness
We must clothe ourselves with gentleness.
Gentleness? That’s not Normal.
Normal = Harsh. Rude. Holding a grudge. It’s mean. Normal says I don’t have the time for you. I’m going to talk about you behind your back. I’m going to manipulate people and things to get my way behind your back. It’s hard-hearted. Quick-tempered. Mean as a snake.
Jesus? Jesus requires gentleness.
The kind of gentleness that has the time for children and welcomes them. That has compassion on the worst of sinners. The kind of gentleness that weeps when bad things happen to good people. That welcomes those who are ashamed and hurting into His presence and doesn’t turn them away. The kind of gentleness that always, always puts others ahead of themselves.
Patience
We must clothe ourselves with patience.
Patience? That’s not Normal.
Normal = I need it and I need it now! Where is my waiter? I don’t have time for this. I’m leaving a negative review online right now. Can you hurry up already? Always busy, always behind, always late, always rushed.
Jesus? Jesus requires patience.
When was Jesus ever in a hurry? Ever not have time for someone? Even when he was late he was never late. Just ask Mary, Martha, and Lazarus! Patient with people who are hard to be patient with. Just ask Peter. Ask James and John. Patient with people who have questions and are honestly seeking. Ask Nicodemus. Patient with people who just don’t get it! Ask the 12 disciples! If he’s this patient, shouldn’t we try to be patient with the people he has put in our lives?
This is HOW…
Paul says as people who call Jesus Lord, we have to resemble Jesus. And this is how we resemble Jesus, we put on “tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
But that’s not all. To read more, Click Here for the next post.
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