Becoming like Jesus is much like you learn medicine. There are some core truths that must function as a foundation, but applied knowledge is medicine, not just knowledge about it. So it is as a Christ-follower. It’s applied conviction, confidence, trust, hope, and joy in Jesus. Realizing your need for Jesus as Savior is the foundation. But your response to that realization is the growth and knowledge that come from being in relationship with God.

2 Pe. 1:5-8 reads, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Did you catch that last part? The qualities keep us from being ineffective in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus the Christ. Faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love … keep our knowledge of Jesus from being ineffective. If you don’t have those qualities that are Jesus-like, your knowledge is worth nothing! Yikes! I say that not to scare you, but give us pause to consider how effective we are using our knowledge.

If you are new to Jesus, might think, “I’m not ready for this …” but again, growing in faith is like growing in medicine. It starts with, “I do, you watch.” Then “I do, you help.” Then “You do, I help,” and finally, “You do, I watch.” 

I don’t know which stage you are in your apprenticeship to Jesus. Maybe its growing like one of those qualities in 2 Pe. 1:5-8. Maybe it’s something else. Stop reading after this paragraph & spend some time thinking about what areas you want to grow in becoming like Jesus. Ask a friend where you might need such growth. And ask God to help you grow in that area both before and during Honduras.

Pray in response, telling the Lord exactly where you are in your apprentice to Jesus & listen for what he might speak in the quiet.

Feel free to DM me or ask someone while in Honduras how you can grow in that area. We are all becoming like Jesus until we meet Him face to face!