Choosing a Christ-Like Life: A Guide to Grace and Surrender

At the heart of every believer is a deep, God-given desire to be more like Jesus. We admire His wisdom, His peace, and His love, and we long to see those same qualities reflected in our own lives. Yet, if we are honest, the gap between who we are and who He is can feel impossibly wide. This is the central journey of grace and spiritual formation.

The good news is that becoming like Christ is not about achieving perfection through our own striving. It is about surrendering more deeply to the work of grace within us. The ultimate goal is not to "try harder," but to trust more fully. As Colossians 3:3 says, "Your life is now hidden with Christ in God." Our transformation happens as we learn to live from that secure, hidden place.

The Path to Christ-Likeness: Surrender, Not Striving

For many of us, the pursuit of a Christ-like life becomes a new form of legalism. We create checklists of behaviors and beat ourselves up when we fail. This is exhausting, and it is not the Gospel.

The path to true transformation is surrender. It's a daily choice to yield our will, our ambitions, and our weaknesses to the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. It is acknowledging that we cannot change ourselves, but He can. This is the freedom of what grace is —God's divine ability working in us to accomplish what we never could on our own.

Mirroring the Character of Christ

As we surrender, the Holy Spirit begins to form the character of Jesus within us. While His character is infinitely deep, we can focus on three core qualities that He modeled perfectly.

1. His Radical Compassion

Jesus was moved by the needs of people. He saw the crowds as "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). His compassion was not a passive feeling; it was an active force that compelled Him to move toward people's pain to bring healing and hope.

How to Apply It: Ask God to give you His eyes for the people around you. Who is one person in your life this week—at home, at work, or in your community—that you can move toward with an intentional act of compassion?

2. His Profound Humility

The humility of Jesus was not a low view of Himself, but a self-forgetfulness that allowed Him to serve others. Philippians 2 tells us to have the same mindset, that Christ "made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant." He consistently used His power not to elevate Himself, but to lift others up.

How to Apply It: Look for one opportunity this week to serve someone in a hidden way, with no chance of being recognized or thanked. This simple act cultivates a heart of true, Christ-like humility.

3. His Sacrificial Love

Jesus's love was the defining characteristic of His life and ministry. He gave a new command: "As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35). This is not a sentimental love, but a rugged, sacrificial love that puts the needs of others before its own.

How to Apply It: How can you tangibly demonstrate sacrificial love to someone in your life today? It may mean sacrificing your time to listen, your resources to help, or your right to be right in a disagreement.

Your Invitation to a Transformed Life

Embracing a Christ-like life is the greatest adventure of the Christian faith. It is a journey of daily surrender, empowered by grace, that leads to profound freedom and purpose.

You don't have to be overwhelmed by the distance between you and Jesus. Simply choose one of these three areas—compassion, humility, or love—and ask the Holy Spirit to cultivate it in you this week. This is the practical, beautiful work of everyday discipleship.