Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Just Like Jesus

What if, for one day, Jesus were to become you? What if, for twenty-four hours, Jesus wakes up in your bed, walks in your shoes, lives in your house, assumes your schedule? Your boss becomes his boss, your mother becomes his mother, your pains become his pains. With one exception, nothing about your life changes. Your health doesn't change. Your circumstances don't change. Your schedule isn't altered. Your problems aren't solved. Only one change occurs.

What if, for one day, Jesus lives your life with his heart? Your heart gets the day off, and your life is led by the heart of Christ. His priorities govern your actions. His passions drive your decisions. His love directs your behavior.

What would you be like? Would people notice a change? Your family - would they see something new? Your coworkers - would they sense a difference? What about the less fortunate? Would you treat them the same? And your friends? Would they detect more joy? How about your enemies? Would they receive more mercy from Christ's heart than from yours?

And you? How would you feel? What alterations would this transplant have on your stress level? Your mood swings? Your temper? Would you sleep better? Would you see sunsets differently? Taxes differently? Any chance you'd need fewer aspirin or sedatives? How about your reaction to traffic delays? (Ouch, that touched a nerve.) Would you still dread what you are dreading? Better yet, would you still do what you are doing?

Would you still do what you had planned to do for the next twenty-four hours? Pause and think about your schedule. Obligations. Engagements. Outings. Appointments. With Jesus taking over your heart, would anything change?

Keep working on this for a moment. Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus leading your life, then snap the shutter and frame the image. What you see is what God wants. He wants you to "think and act like Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5).

God's plan for you is nothing short of a new heart. If you were a car, God would want control of your engine. If you were a computer, God would claim the software and the hard drive. If you were an airplane, he'd take his seat in the cockpit. But you are a person, so God wants to change your heart.

Perhaps an instant makeover is a little too overwhelming,

Take time to examine the heart of Jesus and get to know Jesus' heart . . .

                                                   -Max Lucado-

There are a lot of "what-ifs" in the above words by Max Lucado!  Have you thought about these in comparision to the life you are living today?  I kind of think if Jesus were me, I would look at things entirely different than this human mind of mine does today.  I think things would be a lot different if I were looking thru His eyes, seeing beyond the surface and realizing what really is important in life. If I were feeling what He is feeling - what would that be like?  Would I be feeling rejection, pain, sorry, hurt, joy, happiness, love, contentment and peace?  What would I be doing if He did have control of my "engine"?  Would I be doing the same things I am doing today or would I have some changes to make? Something to think about, huh?!

I love this old hymn by Helen Lemmel - "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus".

Turn you eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

With Jesus in control of our "engines" in life, we can face each situation with confidence and hope as we "think and act" like Jesus!

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