I Would Be Like Jesus

I Would Be Like Jesus ...

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly beloved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1

My long-time friend and mentor, Neil Fichthorn is ministering to our Seniors this week at America's KESWICK.

I have had the privilege of watching his life for over 40 years and what I have learned in those 4o years has been awesome.

I worked for Neil as a teenager at Sandy Cove. One of my best friends, Gary Dambach and I had great fun in walking behind Neil when he walked. Due to an injury during his youth, Neil's arm was sort bent in an odd way. We thought it was cool so we started imitating his bent arm. We did it for three summers in a row. We never got caught (then), but the amazing thing is that we did it so well, it actually became a way of life for us. People would tell us all the time that we looked like Neil.

To top it off, I have spent so much time with him, observing how he directed music, how he conducted himself on the platform, that I found myself imitating him without even knowing it. The last time we were together, we both took our glasses off at the same time to read something, and of course we busted up laughing.

Several weeks ago in a meeting, I was trying to make a point and scared myself silly -- I actually heard Neil talking about the matter through my lips. My body language, style, etc., was so much like him ... I had so observed his life, that imitating him was almost being just like him.

Paul instructed the flock at Ephesus to not imitate him, but imitate God. How do we imitate God? I think it is much like my relationship with Neil. We need to spend time, lots of time with Him. We need to observe how He works. We need to sit as His feet and learn from Him. The more we spend time with him the more we become like Him.

Neil has often said that married couples tend to end up looking alike because of the time they spend with each other. When people see you, do they see Jesus in you?

I love the words to this old hymn:

I have one deep, supreme desire,
That I may be like Jesus.
To this I fervently aspire,
That I may be like Jesus.
I want my heart His throne to be,
So that a watching world may see
His likeness shining forth in me.
I want to be like Jesus.

O perfect life of Christ, my Lord!
I want to be like Jesus.
My recompense and my reward,
That I may be like Jesus.
His Spirit fill my hung'ring soul,
His power all my life control;
That I may be like Jesus.

Ever think about who you might be imitating? I don't know about you -- Neil is a good model to follow -- but my supreme desire is to BE LIKE JESUS -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 3; 2 Chronicles 19-20; John 13:21-38

Great Quote: "Yes, Lord! Jesus, I give all of this to you. Jesus," I just started out a dream for my neighbourhood. "I didn't ask you to make me a messenger to the world. I just wanted to love neighbours. But Jesus, here it is. Here's my future, here's my loneliness, here are all the pressures, here are the criticisms", and I gave Him everything. And I told Him to take me again and I would try to make "Yes, Lord" the continuing motto of my life. Ann Kiemel Anderson