There are Christians in all parts of the world, and they all desire to be more like Jesus. We strive to live according to the wisdom and commands of God given in the Bible. The Bible is the perfect guide on how to be more like Jesus. However, obedience requires an understanding of what to obey. If you don’t understand what you must abide by, you’re just a lost sheep without a flock. While no Christian is excellent, we will continually grow due to the Spirit’s work in us. Still, there are some traits that every Christian should have to be more like Jesus.
Humility
Jesus mentions pride many times in the Bible. Pride is the opposite of humility, and many believe it’s the root of many problems in Scripture. The dictionary defines pride as an unreasonable feeling of superiority over another. However, it doesn’t have to be toward a specific person. As a Christian, you should flee from pride and never be too good to receive criticism from someone else. James 4:10 says that we should humble ourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt us. We must humble ourselves to know that we don’t know everything. We can’t do things out of our strength. Instead, we should humble ourselves and allow God to take over.
God–Fearing
God calls us not to fear anything but God. He is all-powerful and has authority over everything. When we realize and see God as the highest in command over the entire universe, we can rest in knowing that there’s no need to be afraid of anything else. Being God-fearing isn’t about being scared of God. Instead, it’s about embracing and respecting His authority and putting Him first. So how do we put God first? We can put God first by not having any idols. An idol doesn’t have to be physical or material. It can be a person or mentor. Jesus should be your priority in a Christian’s life, and we should run to Him before anything else.
Loving
We are to be imitators of God and walk in love. Ephesians 5:1 says that we should follow God’s example as His dearly loved children. God’s greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts and to love others like ourselves. We love God by keeping His commandments. After loving Jesus, loving others like yourself is the second greatest commandment in the Bible. We should treat others the way we want to be treated. Also, you have to love and respect yourself first before you can love others the same way. God wants you to be confident in His love to begin with, and then we can love others as well. By loving others as God loves us, we show God that we follow His Word and believe in His commandments.
Patient
Christians understand that all things happen in God’s timing. God is very patient with us, and God calls us to be patient with others. Loving people comes with patience. It’s not a singular occurrence but a continuous effort to show the love of Christ. Ephesians 4:2 says that we should be completely humble and gentle; we should also be patient and bear with one another in love. God calls us to show love with all people over and over again. This behavior shows patience. Christians should show the love of Christ without expecting anything in return or seeing the results immediately. Showing non-believers the love of Christ could help them experience the love of Christ themselves. Christians should be patient and know these things take time, and it’s up to Jesus to save them. We should ask God for endurance to do good, to keep praying and caring for others. During seasons of difficulty or times of uncertainty, you must continue to stay strong and remain confident in the work God has called us to do.
Kind
Love is patient and kind. Ephesians 4:32 reminds us that we must be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you. This verse in Ephesians includes forgiveness. Corinthians 3:12 says that we should clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience as God’s chosen people. We are not to only love the ones easy to love, but we should also love the most difficult to love as well. Luke 6:35 says that we should love our enemies and expect nothing in return, and your reward will be great.
Self–Control
As a Christian, you should seek a renewal of your mind. Self-control starts in your mind. If you think about it before acting out in sin, you should play it out in your mind consciously or subconsciously beforehand. If you have control over your mind, you can quickly act out in self-control. To have control over your thought life, you need to go to Jesus as your primary source. In modern times, we’re required to make decisions, no matter how big or small. How we react to events and circumstances in our minds impacts our mental and physical health. Our brain is in control of our body, and it’s stronger than our body. God calls us to have a sound mind. We aren’t bound by the physical, but we’re in control of the material. Free will isn’t an illusion; God created us with free will to choose how to focus our attention, and we decide what to think about in our minds. We can choose to feel the way God wants us to think.
To be like Christ, we have to listen and be obedient to God’s Word. We have to stop practicing sin and practice righteousness. God wants us to walk in the light. We must confess our sins, and God will forgive us of all unrighteousness. Abiding in Jesus is practicing morality, loving God is keeping His commandments. God has given us all the resources we need to be like Him. We can walk like Jesus by starting to make simple decisions to choose the things of God and over things of the world.
