I Want to Be Like Jesus
“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).
Every sincere Christian carries a deep longing: I want to be like Jesus. A hymn written by A. K. Miller in 1883 captures this desire beautifully. Its second stanza reads:
I want to be like Jesus,
So frequently in prayer.
Alone upon the mountaintop,
He met His Father there.
These words remind us of an essential truth: if we truly want to be like Jesus, we must spend consistent, intentional time with God—just as He did during His earthly ministry. The Gospel of Mark tells us that “very early in the morning, while it was still dark,” Jesus withdrew to a solitary place to pray (Mark 1:35). Prayer was not an occasional activity for Jesus; it was His lifestyle.
Jesus also invites us with these words: “Come to Me… and learn from Me” (Matthew 11:28–29). When He appointed the twelve disciples, His first purpose was that they might be with Him. Only by being with Him could they become like Him. Today, we remain with Jesus by studying and meditating on His Word and by speaking with Him in prayer. As we do so, the Holy Spirit shapes our hearts, thoughts, and actions into Christ’s likeness.
A Yoruba proverb illustrates this process well: “Bi ewé bá pẹ́ lára ọṣẹ, á di ọṣẹ.” A leaf wrapped around soap long enough becomes part of the soap. In the same way, those who spend time with Jesus begin to take on His character. This truth was evident in Acts 4:13, when the rulers observed the boldness of Peter and John. Though they were uneducated men, it was obvious that “they had been with Jesus.”
Jesus emphasized the priority of fellowship over busyness in the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38–42). While Martha was distracted with much serving, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to His word. When Martha complained, Jesus gently corrected her: “Mary has chosen what is better.” Serving is good and necessary, but it must never replace personal fellowship with the Lord. True Christianity is not primarily about doing, but about becoming.
As we remain in Christ’s presence, His character begins to form in us—humility, obedience, love, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and a life of good works.
Walking in Humility
Philippians 2:7–8 reveals the depth of Christ’s humility: He emptied Himself, took the form of a servant, and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Jesus willingly laid aside heavenly glory to honor the Father. True humility, like His, seeks the honor that comes from God alone rather than the praise of people.
More than ten times in the Gospel of John, Jesus expressed His complete dependence on the Father, saying things such as, “I can do nothing on My own” (John 5:30). If the Son of God humbled Himself in this way, then those who desire to be like Him must follow His example—submitting to God’s will and giving Him all the glory.
Obeying God’s Word
Obedience is clear evidence of love for Christ. Jesus made this connection unmistakable when He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15), and again, “He who has My commandments and keeps them… loves Me” (John 14:21). Obedience is not merely a duty; it is the natural response of a heart that loves God.
Jesus defined His true family as those “who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:21). To be like Jesus, we must not only hear God’s Word but also obey it. A transformed life flows from a submitted will.
Loving One Another
Christlike love is another unmistakable mark of those who are becoming like Jesus. Believers were first called Christians in Antioch because their lives reflected His character. Paul and Barnabas spent an entire year teaching the Word there, and the result was a community known for Christlike love.
The apostle John wrote, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). Jesus Himself taught that the world would recognize His disciples by their love for one another (John 13:35). Before going to the cross, He gave a new commandment: “Love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). This is agape love—the self-sacrificing, Godkind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8.
Depending on the Holy Spirit
Spiritual transformation is not achieved through human effort alone. We cannot make ourselves like Jesus by willpower. Growth comes through the work of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22–23 describes the fruit He produces in us—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Even Jesus depended on the Holy Spirit. He overcame temptation by relying on the Spirit and standing firmly on the Word of God. If the Son of God lived in dependence on the Spirit, how much more must we? The Word of God remains our strongest weapon against sin and temptation, and in this we must imitate Christ.
Doing Good Works
Acts 10:38 tells us that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good.” Everywhere He went, He brought healing, compassion, and hope.
We are called to follow His example, but only by God’s grace. Scripture assures us that God makes “all grace abound” toward us so that we may have “an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). As the Holy Spirit empowers us, we are enabled to bless those who mistreat us, pray for our enemies, and reflect Christ through lives marked by good works.
Prayer
Our Father in heaven, we desire to be like Jesus, yet we acknowledge how far we fall short. Help us to see You more clearly, love You more dearly, and follow You more nearly. Shape our hearts, transform our character, and conform us day by day into the image of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
—Philip O. Akinyẹmi