As I was looking through the hymnal recently, I came across one of my
old favorites entitled, "O I Want To Be Like Jesus," written by John W.
Peterson. The reason I like it so much is because the words describe perfectly
how I feel as a Christian. I long for the fullest demonstration of Jesus
to be apparent in my life. Let me share the first stanza of the hymn with
you:
O I want to be like Jesus,
As I walk along this pilgrim way;
O I want to live like Jesus,
Showing forth His beauty every day.
This my prayer and deepest longing -
To be pure without, within.
O I want to be like Jesus,
Cleansed from dross and free from self and sin.
2 Cor. 4:10-11 (KJV)
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the
life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live
are alway delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus
might be made manifest in our body.
Ladies, this is why I want to be like Jesus - so that His life might be
manifest in my body. So that His beauty is shown forth every day, and
so that I can be free from self and sin! But that will never happen unless
I am willing to die to myself - to be "delivered unto death" as this verse
states. Basically, wanting to be like Jesus means that I don’t want to
be like ME anymore! So often we are willing to hold to the one desire,
but not the other! What is your heart's deepest longing today, dear lady?
Has it become your prayer to be pure without and within? Are you sick
of your sin yet??
The second verse to the hymn goes like this:
O I want to talk like Jesus,
Gracious are the words from Him we hear:
Words of life and hope for sinners,
Tender healing words of love and cheer.
O the power and the value of a fitly spoken word!
O I want to talk like Jesus,
Any time or place my voice is heard.
Ladies, our speech needs to improve! Christ's words were pure words, yet
Christians fail miserably in this area of talking like Jesus. 1 Peter
2:22 says, "....neither was guile found in his mouth..." I had always
thought of guile as filth, but after learning the definition I found that
it means deceitful, crafty, cunning, insincere. Jesus words were void
of such unholy attributes because the Father gave Him His words; they
were divine, and they were fitly spoken. Our Savior never succumbed to
idle chatter; He spoke only when necessary and always with great deliberation
and conviction. Yes, we ought to measure our words by Jesus words…
Psalm 12:6 (KJV)
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of
earth, purified seven times.
John 14:24 (KJV)
...and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent
me.
John 6:63 (KJV)
....the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.
Jesus words were spiritual words and they brought life and hope to the
lost. Are your words of a spiritual nature, dear lady? Are you getting
your words from your Heavenly Father? Do they bring life or death to the
listener?? Proverbs 12:18 says, "There is that speaketh like the piercings
of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health." Are you typically engaged
in healthy, meaningful conversation or causing injury with your sharp
remarks? Are we really talking with others about the Lord as often as
we should be? As women, we don’t seem to have a hard time giving out a
juicy bit of gossip, yet sharing the things of the Lord somehow renders
us speechless. The gospel isn't supposed to silence us, ladies, it is
supposed to be what we talk about! Think about the last time and place
your voice was heard... What sort of dialogue are you depositing into
the hearts of others - tender, healing words of love and cheer? There
is power and healing found in the Word of God so let's start talking about
Christ more often. Oh, I want to talk like Jesus! I hope you do too…
The third and final verse to the hymn goes like this:
O I want to serve like Jesus,
Willingly He came from Heaven above;
On the earth He lived for others,
Spent His life in kindly deeds of love.
I would follow where He leads me
And His bidding always do.
O I want to serve like Jesus
Till my traveling days on earth are through.
This hymn stirs my heart to the point that I want nothing more than to
serve like my Savior served! But I realize I am far from the mark... Christ
served sacrificially and never quit! His whole life was spent in loving
obedience to the Father's will and loving service toward others. Jesus
left the perfection of heaven to come down here for the likes of you and
me... Yet how do we respond when the Lord sends us somewhere with less
desirable living conditions than we have known?? Where do you fall short
as a servant as compared to Christ? Do you live for yourself or for others?
Have you truly desired to be like Jesus at all? If so, you will have found
yourself longing to serve like Him....
Phil. 2:7-8 (KJV)
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man,
he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross.
Mt. 20:28 (KJV)
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,
and to give his life a ransom for many.
It was Jesus life’s purpose to minister to others. It is the mindset with
which He came to this earth! With what mindset do we enter into situations?
There is no way we can be Christlike servants if we constantly expect
others to minister to us all the time! To minister and to give - those
were two of Jesus goals when in the presence of others. What are yours??
To get and to take? To have and to hold? These are not the desires of
a servant who wants to be like Jesus!
2 Cor. 5:15 (KJV)
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live
unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.
In the privacy of your own heart, answer this question today: Who do you
really want to be like most - Jesus, or you? Whatever your answer may
be, it will be known by everyone, for it will show in the way that you
live!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2004
