Looking like Jesus

Galatians 5:1-6

             “To become Christ-like is the only thing in the whole world worth caring for, the thing before which every ambition of man is folly and all lower achievement vain.”                                          - Henry Drummond

             It is interesting when a child is born. One of the first comments from anyone is that the baby looks just like so and so. One day, they might look like mom, dad, aunt or uncle. I remember just after my oldest niece was born we were walking her in a stroller. Someone that should have known came up to us and asked if my wife and I were walking our son. We told him that no, not only was it not our son, but it was my sisters GIRL. It just so happened that my niece looked a little like me when she was born. My oldest son favored me at first and now he looks much more like the Smalley side of the family. My youngest son is an exact replica of his grandpa Frank (Oh, NO!).

One of my favorite passages of scripture is Philippians 2:5-11. I find the underlying themes of all of biblical doctrines are the fact that we desire to be like Christ. The British novelist J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, "Sheep get to be like their Shepherd, it is said, but slowly." The renewal of the inner person, becoming Christ-like, is not accomplished in a  moment but a lifetime.

Augustine (354-430) observed that this process is like healing from a near-fatal wound. "It's one thing," he said, "to remove the spear, but quite another to heal the wound by long and careful treatment." This healing occurs gradually as our old ways of thinking and living are erased, and we become more like our Savior as we are renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). This renewal takes place not by        self-effort alone but by faith. It involves reading, meditating on, and obeying God's Word. We must also fix our minds on the character of Christ and ask God to make us like Him.

Then we must wait, confident that God is working in us to accomplish His purposes. Every day has its mishaps and memories of something we should have done or not done, but we must not be impatient. Though incomplete, we are in process. Sin may frustrate us for a day, but God is at work—and on ahead lies perfection, which is "the hope of righteousness" (Galatians 5:5).

Philippians 4:6-7

Let’s find out today how we go about worrying about nothing.
The key to finding peace in anxious times is to - pray about everything. In other words, instead of worrying about it, pray about it. That is how we release our worries, relieve our stress and put our trust in God. Turn your anxious thoughts into prayer requests. In so doing, you turn your eyes off the problem and on to God, who is the problem solver. Remember, “When we work, we work; but when we pray, God works.” When you pray about it you are taking your problems out of your hands and placing them in God’s hands.
I heard about a guy who worried all the time. He worried about his checkbook, his investments, his wife, his mortgage payments - he worried about the fact that he worried so much. Finally, one of his friends hit him with a question and said, “Man, why do you worry so much – you’re always so agitated?” “Not anymore,” the man replied. “How’s that?”, the friend inquired. The fellow explained, “I hired somebody to worry for me - I put an ad in the newspaper and offered $10,000 a week to somebody qualified to make me worry-free by doing all my worrying for me.” The friend laughed, “And how do you think you’ll pay him?” The man shot back, “Hey, that’s his worry!”
Don’t you wish it were that easy? Actually it is and we don’t have to hire anyone. We have a God that wants to handle our problems for us. I Peter 5:6-7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Giving God your worry, anxieties and cares is an act of humility. You are saying, “Lord, I can’t handle it, but you can.” A corollary verse can be found in Psalm 55:22. It says, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you.” Cast your burden on the Lord literally means to throw them down or slam them down on God. The way you do that is in prayer. In other words, whenever a worry filled, anxious thought comes to mind, instead of sitting and stewing on it, pray about it. Through prayer you can slam down your worries.
Try this exercise. Take several pieces of paper crumpled up with these words written on them; “family problems,” “health problems,” and “financial problems”. Let me show you what that looks like. An anxious thought comes, “My teenager has been acting rebellious.” “Well Father, you gave me that child and I have committed him to you. I took him to Sunday school, I pray for him daily, and I trust him into your hands. I’m not going to worry about it, he’s your responsibility.” (Crumple the paper and slam it down). “Yes, there have been layoffs at the plant but you’re the God that supplies all of my family’s needs according to your riches in glory. I’m going to continue to be the best employee I can be, pray for for my boss and company, and trust you. Even if I do get laid off, you’ll provide for me, maybe through another job. But I refuse to worry about it; I give it over to you.” (Throw the next paper). “The doctor’s report wasn’t good but it’s not my responsible to worry about. I’m going to take good care of myself, follow the doctor’s instructions, and claim the Bible’s promises of divine healing. Lord, I trust you with my health, in Jesus name, Amen.” (Repeat).
That seems to sound easy, and in principle it is. Now, pick one of those pieces of paper back up. Do you notice how quickly it came back? That’s because it’s your paper. Once you cast them on the Lord, don’t ask for them back by setting your mind on them again. If you do, He’ll give them back to you, because they’re your problems. So once you cast them on him, let Him handle them and don’t take them back. There are too many that spend the time casting them through prayer into the lap of the Lord but are yet determined to take them back and worry over them again. Once you place it in His hand, leave it there and the way to do that will come tomorrow.

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.”
- Corrie Ten Boom