Nov 12 2007
Becoming Christ-like
In what area of my life do I need to ask for the spirit’s power to be like Christ today?
The Purpose Driven Life, p. 178
I pray every day that I can overcome my biggest character flaws: quick to anger and lack of discipline. I have a temper, and it can be a real bad one at times. When my temper flares, I make irrational decisions and say hurtful words. I’ve also been quite lazy and always think about myself and what other people can do for me. Usually, it’s the laziness that triggers the anger. It is causing havoc in my relationships with others – which probably explains why I don’t have many close friends. Who can live with my toxic character?
Fortunately, I have help. I have Yantie who keeps me in check of my bad temper and corrects me many times when I say something awful. She especially focuses on my lack of apologies when I do something wrong. It hurts (mostly my pride) to be corrected. This forces me to retreat and seek God’s holy spirit to change my mind and heart.
Amazing how much God can work in my thoughts and spirit. The molding process is not comfortable, but the result is a step closer to take on God’s values, attitudes, and character.
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Romans 12:1-2 (Message)
