Most people would say, “I want to be more like Jesus.” I’m sure you would say that. But few of us know much about how to be genuinely transformed. The standard approaches to spiritual growth today aren’t likely to work. Regular church attendance and quiet times just aren’t enough — even if you add in lots of Christian service. Getting your doctrine right won’t change your character, neither will having emotional experiences of God. Reading Christian self-help books is likely to leave your soul famished for God’s kingdom.
I’ve been doing these things for decades — they’re all good things to do, but they aren’t reliable means for participating in the abundant life of Jesus and becoming a more loving person. Dallas Willard taught me that we need a curriculum for Christlikeness. (He lays this out in chapter nine of The Divine Conspiracy.)
The best example of this in the Bible is the book of Colossians where we find “Paul’s Curriculum for Christlikeness.” I’ve study and memorized this and found great fruit for my soul and ministry to others. I break it down into three parts:
1. Take Heart From a Spiritual Mentor
Paul says, “We pray… that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.” I’ve prayed this with him hundreds of times and my heart is still warmed by these words! Yes, more than anything I want to live a good life that pleases God!
Elsewhere Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). For most of us, the way we grow spiritually is to learn and receive personal care and individualized guidance from a pastor or other spiritual mentor. This is what Paul himself did with Barnabas and it’s what he subsequently offered to young Timothy. It’s what I did for many years with Ray Ortlund and then with Dallas Willard.
Sitting with hundreds or thousands of people in a church service is a good thing to do. Listening to great Christian teachers over a DVD with a small group or at a conference is helpful. But very few people make substantial progress in becoming like Jesus without having spiritual mentor to talk with up close and personal over a long period of time.
2. Enthrall Your Mind with Jesus
The best articles, books, and sermons captivate us with Jesus. This is central because the only way to become like someone is to admire him or her.
Paul certainly enthralls us with Jesus in Colossians 1 & 2! He says, Jesus Christ is “the image of the invisible God… He is before all things, and in him all things hold together… He is the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy… In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge… For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ.” Praise the Lord Jesus Christ!
3. Train to Become More Like Jesus
We’ve all tried to lose weight, get in shape, be more patient, or a host of other things. Trying to change rarely works. “Don’t just try — train” is the wise dictum we need.
In Colossians 3 Paul helps us to train with Jesus. He gets into the nitty gritty of human sin, conflict, and lovelessness. He teaches us to “put to death” sexual sin, anger, and deceit. To do this we need to “put on the new self” of being wrapped in God’s compassion in community with other Christ-followers. To help us become loving people who are ruled by the peace of Christ he lays out a course of spiritual disciplines that includes thankfulness, meditation on Scripture, worship, service, practicing God’s presence, and watchful prayer in solitude and silence.
TLC is “To Love Christ”
TLC is our two-year training program for being with Jesus to become more like him. It features conversational teaching, guided spiritual experiences with Scripture and prayer, solitude and silence, and spiritual direction. 24 pastors, pastors’ wives, and other ministry leaders/caregivers from all across America have already experienced our 5-day TLC retreats. (The picture above is from one of our retreats.)
Maybe you’d like to join us in the fall of 2014 or winter of 2015? For more information see our TLC page.
