Casandra Martin

Talking about looking like Jesus always inspires me. Every time I walk through the scriptures that point me to His face and call me to be conformed to His image settles my soul back into what is foundational about faith.

After opening our Bibles and discussing what looking like Jesus means to the reflection in my mirror, a woman hurried toward me with a smile on her face. She told me about a note that she has taped to every mirror in her house. These simple words meet every reflection it sees.

Mirror, mirror on the wall
Do you see Christ in me at all?

She put the little message there as a reminder for her children. She wanted them to refocus on Christ’s purpose for their lives with each glance in the mirror. What was unexpected, she told me, were the number of discussions it opened with friends, neighbors, and visitors to her home. What it means to look like Jesus frequently shapes the conversation around her table and gives the mirror a purpose far beyond looking at the physical.

My Jesus Resolution today is to ask the mirror question. My mirror can be used for more than checking my hair or putting on lipstick. It can be a reminder that my most important “look” for the day is to be a reflection of Jesus.

A girl has got to love a new pair of shoes. Pulling them out of the box inspired a smile, a deep breath, and a sense of anticipation as I slipped them on my feet. I admired my toes and ran to the mirror to check out my “new” look. I walked the floor, feeling the new comfort, enjoying the fresh beauty, and imagining how my style quotient might go up a couple of points. My husband looked at my feet and picked up my old shoes. “Now we can throw these old things away!”

I literally stopped in my tracks. I sputtered, wrestling with mixed emotions. I had new shoes on my feet, shoes that fit, met my needs, and looked cute. Still I struggled to let go of the old ones. Not because of sentiment – no great memories in those shoes, just lots of laundry, dishes, cleaning, and dog duty. Not because they were still in great shape – the worn spots were starting to reveal things about a shoe’s inner workings that no one should ever know. They are worn out, smell funny, and have seen a million miles, but I hesitate to let them go because they are comfortable and familiar.

I guess shoes and habits have a lot in common.

Jesus is working on me. Using the extreme makeover method, He is transforming me piece by piece. He points out the sin and selfishness that require surrender, cleaning up my messes and bring fresh light and air into the stale mustiness of my do-it-yourself projects. A major part of this renovation is centered on my habits. I tend toward habits that are self-satisfying, not too demanding, that make me feel good. Jesus directs me to new habits meant to stretch my soul, open my eyes, and change my heart. These new habits fit my soul. They answer hungers I didn’t know I had, making me feel free and beautiful. But still, I look longingly at the old ways. They are comfortable and familiar. I have a hard time letting go.

My Jesus Resolution is to wear new shoes. New shoes become comfortable when we wear them for a while. New habits work the same way. Living the Jesus Resolution requires that some of my old (read comfortable) habits need to be tossed aside. There are new habits that need to be engrained, formed into my soul so that they can transform who I am. I can’t look more like Jesus if I keep hanging onto the old ways. But the truth is I don’t want to live a comfortable life. I want to live a conformed life – one that is shaped, molded, and inspired to look more like Jesus. Even if it means throwing the old shoes away and wearing the new shoes that will help me walk in His steps.

“Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’” – Joshua 3:5 (NIV 84)

I love this passage. Amazing things are on the horizon. Wonders are just around the corner. God calls His people to a time of anticipation, expectation, and surrender. Prayers are about to be answered. Promises are about to be fulfilled. Provision is about to be made. Abundance and victory are within reach. Twenty-four more hours will find you rubbing your eyes in amazement.

What is true for Israel on the edge of the Promised Land is true for you and me. Immeasurably More is the beginning of God’s dreams for you. First Corinthians 2:9 says, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” God has big things, amazing things, wonderful things in store for you.

I read these beyond imagination promises and wonder why I don’t have that kind of life. Transparency requires me to face an unpleasant truth. I want to reverse the two phrases in this verse. I want to see God’s wonders, experience His amazing things, and then, if I am sufficiently wowed, consecrate myself to His purpose. I get it backwards. Maybe I don’t experience amazing things because I haven’t prepared to meet God on His terms.

My Jesus Resolution today is to prepare for amazing things. The first two words of Joshua’s instructions are key. I need to consecrate myself today for tomorrow’s movement. I need to get ready, examine myself, surrender, repent, sacrifice, and walk in holiness. I need to invest myself in His Word, His people, His presence, and His will so that my heart will be soft, my eyes will be open, and my feet will be ready to walk where He leads. Today I prepare because amazing is just around the corner.

Children challenge me. They coax me and prod my soul to see God in ways and places where I tend to miss Him. Their simplicity often highlights the moments in which I make faith too complicated.

He is an active, energetic, perfect one-year-old. Just learning to walk, he is mastering “the escape.” He is speaking his first words, each one a precious gift as he learns to interact with the world around him. Sitting in his mom’s lap, he is learning the powerful first elements of faith – coming to church, the wonder of Bible class, the power of community, and how to meet Jesus. (Never doubt that little ones can learn these lessons each time you bring them to worship.)

It was during communion that his little voice spoke a big truth. Looking around from the safety of his mom’s shoulder, he spotted his dad serving in the back of the room. “Da-da!” he cried out. He squirmed to get closer, making no pretense about wanting to be in father’s arms.

I smiled as his voice carried loudly through the quiet room. And then I felt the Spirit’s nudge. Was I on the lookout for my Abba’s presence? Do I pull at the restraints of this world that hold me back from running into His arms or sit comfortably in my own space? Am I willing to tell others where I see Him and how much I want to be in His presence? Does childlikeness characterize my faith or am I too grown up to need an Abba?

My Jesus Resolution today is to center my eyes and heart on my Abba. Abba is an intimate Aramaic word that Jewish children use to address their fathers. Jesus addressed God as Abba Father. Galatians 4:6 tells us that “because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” I want to be like this little one. I want my eyes open for my Abba’s presence. I want to cry out in delight when I see Him. I want to be overwhelmed with longing to be in His arms. I want worship to be a time when I stand in wonder that my Abba joins me and calls me His own.

Today I feel small. Sometimes we stand in the sun and cast a long shadow. We feel confident, strong, and capable. Other days find us in the midst of a storm. We come face to face with our limitations, feel boxed in by the burdens of the day, or overwhelmed by a struggle that is pressing on our souls. During these small moments, my heart feels more tender, my soul more vulnerable, and my emotions more on edge.

Small is not a bad thing. The world will tell us that bigger is always better, but it isn’t true. Small moments have the power to recalibrate our priorities, realign our vision, and reignite our worship. Feeling small invites me back into humility. It emphasizes dependence, requires trust, and reminds me that small is appropriate next to the bigness of our God. In my small moments, God offers to cover me with grace sufficient to meet even my deepest weaknesses. Taking shelter under the shadow of His wings provides a safe haven for my battered soul. Small grants us the opportunity to choose worship instead of worry, gratitude rather than grumbling, and sacrifice rather than self-pity. I can offer my smallness to God as an offering of praise, trusting Him to use me, work in me, care for me, and provide for me as best fits His plan.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be okay with being small. Sometimes I think that we think we have to be “big” in order to do big things for God. Maybe small is better. There isn’t a hero of faith in the Bible that felt equal to the task. Rather they looked at the wall, sea, lions, giant, army, journey, hard-hearted people, even the cross, and trusted the truth that small surrendered to God is bigger than going it on your own.

In 1887, Jesse Brown Pounds wrote the words to a song that are stuck in my head and heart today. Take a minute and sing with me.

Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go,

Anywhere He leads me in this world below;

Anywhere without Him dearest joys would fade;

Anywhere with Jesus I am not afraid.

Anywhere, anywhere! Fear I cannot know;

Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go.

Anywhere. Where are you going today? Some of us will get in cars, airplanes, or trains and take a physical journey. We can go anywhere in this whole wide world and never leave the Savior’s side or loving care. Some of us will walk in places of worry, fear, or stress today. Anywhere you go, Jesus is holding you in His arms, pouring out grace sufficient to meet your needs. Some of us will walk in the ordinary routine of our regular days. Whether in the grocery store, at the bank, or by the washing machine, God calls us to follow Him, open our eyes to His presence, and find our joy in His nearness.

My Jesus Resolution today is to go everywhere with Jesus. It doesn’t matter if I am taking steps onto new ground, steps into the unknown, or steps into the familiar and everyday. I can go anywhere with Jesus. I am going to be safe because He is by my side. I can depend on His guidance, rely on His wisdom, and have confidence in His constancy. I don’t need to hesitate, hurry, or have fear because Jesus is with me. Nothing will change His love for me or break His promise to be by my side. Today, I will keep humming. “Anywhere, anywhere!” Let’s go!

I smile every time he prays. There is an older gentleman in my church family that prays about rain every time he prays. He asks for rain. He is thankful for rain. He talks about the blessings that fall with the rain. He puts his crops, his animals, his land, and his trust in the One who holds the raindrops. Every time it rains, I think of his folded hands, humble heart, and earnest prayers.

His prayers remind me that when raindrops hit the roof, we are witnessing the power of God moving in our world. Like many parts of the country, we have recently experienced the devastating effects of drought. It is amazing how that time of scarcity has reframed how we see the raindrops. No one is complaining about the rain. We have a greater appreciation for its power, have a deeper understanding of its necessity, and are looking at the sky with new eyes.

The rain just reminds us of a principle that we see played out in our hearts every day. Grace is sweeter when we run smack into sin. Joy is richer following a period of sorrow. Peace is a marvel during a storm. The balance of God’s world teaches us to seek His face, reach for His hand, and embrace His presence no matter what the moment brings. Sunny days brighten our hearts as we soak in His warmth. Rainy days encourage us to crawl into the comfort of His arms and rest. Either way, we spend the day with Jesus.

My Jesus Resolution today is to pray for reign. I want to be as bold, persistent, and earnest about praying for God to reign in my life as my friend is in praying for rain to fall on the earth. I want to ask for His sovereignty to take hold of me, soak me through, and drench me in His desire. I want to be thankful every time I see Him at work in me or the world around me. I want to trust Him with all I am, all I have, and all I can be. I have learned that this man’s faithful prayers are not just about raindrops. They are about surrendering to a God who reigns on the earth and walking in the overflow of His grace.

The Facebook message made me smile and then brought tears to my eyes. More importantly, it made me think. A young friend of mine recently posted a congratulations to her parents on their anniversary. Here is what she wrote.

“I don’t believe in happily ever after because of storybooks and Disney Princesses. I believe in marriages lasting because I see what a Godly marriage should look like. Thank you for showing me what I have to look forward to.”

How many of our children think that happily ever after only happens in fairy tales? Dreams of true love, faithfulness, gallantry, and deep goodness collide with the reality of our broken, selfish, fractured world, leaving our children to wonder why love should inspire our souls. Yet, Christian parents and grandparents carry a unique privilege and responsibility. We get to show our children that happily ever after aren’t words tacked onto the end of a story, but the true ending of The Story, life’s story, the story of Jesus.

We get to show them, in the practical, everyday ways that matter, what happily ever after looks like while doing the laundry, cleaning the kitchen, and balancing a budget. We have the opportunity to model kindness, respect, gentleness, selflessness, and humor when it would be easier to walk away or walk out. When life is dark, we point them to the Light. When life is hard, we live it on our knees. Children see their future in our todays.

My Jesus Resolution today is live out my happily ever after. It doesn’t matter if you are married or single, have kids or don’t. Happily ever after is about living life with God, here today, right where you are. Margaret Bonanno once said, “It is only possible to live happily ever after on a daily basis.” Every day as we choose to look like Jesus, live love out loud, and surrender to God’s deep purpose, we are showing our children, our friends, our co-workers, and our neighbors what it means to live the happily ever after life.

Amazing where God shows up in your day. I was running an errand, trying to remember the four (or was it five?) items on my list. I was counting minutes, counting to do’s, counting what’s not going to get dones, and counting ingredients for dinner. I hadn’t counted on God showing up and reminding me to count on Him.

As I passed the auto shop on my way down the road, I noticed a sign by the side of their door. It simply said, “God’s answers are wiser than our prayers.”

Wow. Hand over mouth, heart falling to its knees, eye-opening, soul-stretching, joy-swelling truth in those words.

God’s answers are wiser than the answers I come up with for myself. I have learned that lesson, although there are times when I need a refresher course. This little sign reminded me that God’s answers are wiser than my questions. You know the old saying, “Ask the wrong question and you will get the wrong answer”? Not with God. He always gives the right answer in the right way at the right time, even if I ask the wrong question in the wrong way at the wrong time. The unfolding of His purpose in my life isn’t limited by how smart I am, but by how surrendered I am.

My Jesus Resolution today is to count on God’s wisdom. As I pray, I am going to let trust in His love, faithfulness, goodness, and mercy frame how I approach His throne. When I pray, I am going to depend on the Holy Spirit to reframe my questions, requests, and even praises into a fragrant offering that aligns with God’s will. As I watch for His answers and anticipate His movement, I am going to count on the truth that God’s answers are wiser than my prayers. He will always answer in the way that is going to best help me look like Jesus.

What would Jesus be doing if He stood in your shoes right where you are today?

Too many times we believe that our commitment is linked to our circumstances. We think that given ideal circumstances, we would be more committed, more passionate, more involved, and more faithful. We imagine that living this Jesus life would somehow be simpler, less demanding, or easier to embrace if we walked in different shoes than the ones on our feet today.

Someday becomes the rhythm that sets our steps. When I am married, when I have kids, when my kids move out, when I lose weight, when I have a job, when I retire, when I pay off my debt, when I feel better, when I’m not so tired, when I get the laundry done, when this relationship turns around, or when I kick this habit. We somehow imagine that the ideal circumstance just ahead will ignite a walk with Christ that we put off today.

God wants you to see yourself and your circumstances differently. Today, right where you are is the perfect place for you to experience His grace, dip deeply into His delight, and move into His presence. God isn’t more “there” in the ideal places. He isn’t waiting for a perfect you to show up before He can work. God wants you to stand right where you are and be like Jesus. Wherever that is. In the carpool line, next to the washing machine, in the midst of paying bills, in the nursing home, with an IV in your arm, when you are struggling under a deadline, wrestling with disappointment, or eating chocolate. We may not be able to do everything we want to do for Jesus, but we can be everything God wants us to be when we choose to look like Jesus right where we are.

My Jesus Resolution today is to let go of someday and embrace today. I won’t be more faithful tomorrow than I am today if I don’t commit myself to growth. I have to learn to see this moment as the best opportunity to imitate Jesus that I have. Many times I think that my commitment will change when my circumstances change. Perhaps my circumstances might change if my commitment changes. Maybe it will just be the way I see my circumstances that changes, but either way, I have a choice. Put Him off until someday or look like Jesus right where I am today.