Becoming

Note: Just to warn you, this is going to be one of those "stream-of-consciousness" posts. If you don't know what that means, you fell asleep in English class too much.

P.S. for the Note: You must listen to this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAI2doCUbNc whilst reading the post.

P.P.S. for the Note: That is all. =)

"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:7-11

I can't even begin to tell you how often I hear things like, "Well, compared to most people, I'm doing great!" Who is the standard supposed to be again? Oh, yeah- Jesus. And He was perfect.

"Well, there's no way anybody expects me to be like that! I can try and try, but I'll never be perfect, and God knows that. He accepts me just the way I am."

Yes, He does.

And then He says, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Those are Jesus' words from Matthew 5, and I personally believe that He meant them. But that's just me.

"Well, then, what do you propose, because I know I'll never be perfect."

I hear your thoughts loud and clear.

Well, Paul put it this way: "...becoming like Him." Always striving to be more like our Jesus, never being complacent or satisfied with mediocrity or anything less than perfection. I can always be more full of joy, more abounding of His love, more accepting of His peace, more persistent in prayer, more pure in my intentions.

This thought has been on my mind for the past couple of months, just about the same amount of time as I've been listening to and playing the beautiful song that you're supposed to be listening to right now. I printed off the music never having heard it before, but I liked the way it looked. I was so thrilled with the way it sounded when I sat down to play it. Yesterday I decided to look up the meaning of its Italian title, Divenire.

To become. "Divenire" means to become.

Strive, my dear friends and never settle. Study the life of Jesus. Pray for grace to become like Him. It's my prayer that, until the day I die, I never take a step backward, but only move forward in the grace and power of becoming more like my beloved, precious Jesus.