Perhaps one of the most exhausting habits of our lives is being inconsistent in what we believe and say and do. Whether it’s parents struggling with telling their kids, “Do as I say, not as I do,” or any of us knowing and hating the sin in our lives but sinning anyhow, it’s difficult to be consistent with what we know to be right.
As we continue our prayer that God would help us to have “more Jesus” and “less me” and to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we may see God transforming us to be more consistent, helping us to have alignment with what we believe, say, and do. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Jesus was consistent.
Our prayer to be more like Jesus is certainly the first step that we must take to be consistent like Jesus, depending upon the Holy Spirit to transform us, but there are other things we can do to grow. First, we need to know what Jesus was like. When everyone was wearing those “WWJD?” bracelets, one Christian publisher had another acronym that meant “How Can You Ask What Jesus Would Do If You Don’t Know What Jesus Did?” Sure, it was too big for a bracelet, but the point is clear: if we want to be more like Jesus, we need to spend more time studying what Jesus said and did in the Bible, whether in personal study or in a smaller group that meets at the church or in someone’s home.
Second, we can follow the example of others. Hebrews 13:7 says, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” Not only should we study the Word of God, but we ought to follow the example of those who are living it out. As we begin to see God answering our prayer to be more like Jesus, becoming more consistent in our faith, words, and actions, then we can become an example to others—in our families, at work or school, in our community.