I was just watching something that made me think I'm asking the "wrong" question. Frankly, it's not so much about the "right" or "wrong"-ness of the question, but what it shows about my thinking in general when it comes to God.
The "wrong" question is "How can I be more Christ-like?" We want to be like him. Being like him is indeed a good thing. But that's not the point. What I realized (and what is "wrong") is that it focuses on me - it's self-centered - and it also presumes I have any ability to make it happen. The point is I want to be Christ-like. I can think of a thousand reasons why, and I can see how unChristlike those reasons are! God does not ask us to be Christlike. That is NOT to be our focus, nor can we do it of our own accord. That is why it is the "wrong" question.
He made me and He has indeed set a standard of behavior, etc. But He is the one who works in me to enable me to meet that standard. And when I don't, He redeems my mess, each and every time. I am not to wallow in my failure - I'm to "wallow" in His grace. My focus is to be on HIM, not on me: on HIS grace and goodness and perfection and love and mercy and power, not on my efforts, my behavior, my successes or failures or anything else.
So rather than ask how I can be more like Him, let me rather ask how I can honor and glorify and thank Him for who He is and what He's done. Let me ask that question first, and let all others pale in comparison to knowing and loving and focusing on Him.
