Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 341 – 1 Corinthians 13:11-13 – Greatest Of These- Growing As Disciples
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:11-13 (NIV)
Like You
This is my greatest desire. What is your greatest desire? I want to become like you. In what way do you most want to become like me? I want to love you love. I want my thoughts and words and actions to be motivated by your love. That is a very good desire. I have that same desire for you. I want you to become like me. I also want you to love like I love. That is fantastic. I agree, but why do you think so? We both want the same thing. How can your will not come to pass if we both want the same thing? That is a very good question.
I will ask you a question that will answer your question. How will you become like me? How will you love like I love? That is a work that you must do in me. Why do you think that? I’m sure that I cannot make myself able to love like you love. If my loving like you love depends on me, then I’m afraid that I’m headed toward a miserable failure. No amount of my power or strength or ability will ever make me able to love like you love. That sounds like the voice of your experience. Yes, it is. There is more that you are not saying. There is more that you do know. I can’t make myself to be like you either. That would be an even more impossible task. So, both becoming like you and being able to love like you love are both works that only you can do in and through me. That is true.
Do you have no role in becoming like me? Do you have no part to play in loving like I love? Yes, I do have a role and a part to play in becoming like you and loving like you love. Tell me about your role? What is your part? I must draw near to you. I must spend time with you. I must be in your presence. Living and walking in an intimate relationship with you is my role and part to play. It is only in your presence that I will be changed. It is in your presence that you will make me to be like you. It is in your presence that I will be made able to love like you love. I know that you will be molding and shaping my life moment by moment and day by day as I love and know and follow and serve you. You will change my heart. You will transform my mind. You will give me your thoughts to think, words to speak and actions to take. You will make me able to love like you love. Yes, I will. Thank you, Lord.
Lord, I have thought, spoken and acted like a child. You have helped me to put away childish ways as I have been loving and following and serving you. Moment by moment, you are making me to be more like you. You are helping me to love like you love. Amen
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