My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry….
— James 1:19
Christian author Carole Mayhall tells of a woman who went to a diet center to lose weight. The director took her to a full-length mirror. On it he outlined a figure and told her, “This is what I want you to be like at the end of the program.” So she committed that day to lose the weight necessary to fit into the figure on the mirror.
Days of intense dieting and exercise followed, and every week the woman would check in with the director of the center. She would stand in front of the mirror, and week after week she saw her body conform more and more to the outline. She kept at it, and finally one day she fit within the image.
Much like the woman in the story, we as believers should long to conform to the image of Christ that we see in the Bible. This means that in everything we do, we should follow the commandment found in today’s passage to love God and love others. And while we may come up short at times, we keep striving for that image.
Pursue holiness by pursuing Christlikeness. Pray how Jesus prayed. Have the hope Jesus hoped. And love how Jesus loved.
Prayer Challenge
Pray that God would continually mold you into the likeness of Christ.
Questions for Thought
In what areas of your life are you at most need of being conformed to the image of Christ?
What would those areas of your life look like if you gave God the control over them?