If we’re honest, most of us have thought about this at some point—What does it actually mean to be like Christ?
Not just in a Sunday-morning, “love your neighbor” kind of way, but in the kind of way that reshapes everything. The way that changes how we talk, how we think, how we react when life hits us sideways.
It’s easy to say we want to be like Jesus. But living it? That’s a different story.
Some days, it feels like we’re making progress—being patient when we’d normally snap, forgiving when we’d rather hold a grudge, choosing kindness when frustration is clawing at our chest.
And then there are other days.
Days when we lose our temper over something small. When we let pride get in the way. When we fall into the same old patterns we swore we’d left behind. And in those moments, it’s easy to feel like we’re failing. Like maybe we’re just not built for this.
But here’s the thing—becoming like Christ was never about getting it perfect.
Stop Trying to Be Perfect
Somewhere along the way, a lot of us picked up this idea that being Christlike means never messing up. That if we could just pray a little harder, study a little more, have more self-control, then maybe we’d get there.
But that’s not how this works.
Jesus didn’t come for the people who had everything figured out. He wasn’t drawn to the ones who knew all the right answers, who followed all the rules, who looked holy on the outside.
He went to the broken. The messy. The ones who had a past, the ones still trying to figure it all out.
And if that’s who Jesus spent time with, what makes us think we have to be flawless before we can walk with Him?
Being Like Christ Starts With Humility
Let’s be real—pride gets in the way. More than we’d like to admit.
We want to be seen as strong. We don’t want to admit when we’re struggling. We don’t want to ask for help. And sometimes, even when we say we’re following Jesus, we’re really just following our own version of what we think a “good Christian” should look like.
But Christ didn’t walk around proving Himself.
He washed feet. He ate with outcasts. He stayed silent when He could have defended Himself. He laid down His rights when He had every reason not to.
He wasn’t interested in appearances. He was interested in surrender.
And maybe that’s the real starting point.
Not trying to be better, not putting on a front, not white-knuckling our way through this thing—but laying it all down. Admitting we don’t have what it takes on our own.
Because the moment we stop trying to be impressive is the moment God actually starts working in us.
Loving People Who Don’t Deserve It
If we’re going to be like Christ, this is where it gets real.
Loving the people who love us back? That’s easy. Loving the people who don’t? That’s where things get uncomfortable.
Jesus didn’t just tell us to love our enemies—He showed us how.
He loved Peter, even after he denied Him three times.
He loved the thief on the cross, even in his final moments.
He loved the soldiers who nailed Him to the cross and prayed for their forgiveness.
And yet, here we are—struggling to forgive someone for cutting us off in traffic.
This isn’t about ignoring hurt or pretending like everything is fine. But it is about choosing love when bitterness feels more natural. About choosing grace when resentment feels justified. About remembering that we’ve been given mercy we didn’t deserve, so who are we to withhold it from someone else?
It’s not easy. Sometimes, it’s the hardest thing in the world. But that’s the point.
If love was always effortless, it wouldn’t be Christlike.
Living Like Jesus in the Ordinary Moments
A lot of the time, when we think about being like Christ, we think of the big things—giving up everything to follow Him, taking a bold stand for faith, making radical sacrifices.
And yeah, sometimes it looks like that.
But most of the time?
It looks like the small, unseen choices.
Holding your tongue instead of snapping back.
Putting someone else’s needs ahead of your own.
Taking the time to pray when no one else will know.
Being patient when everything in you wants to rush ahead.
It’s in the daily, ordinary moments that our hearts are shaped.
Becoming More Like Christ is a Process, Not a Destination
If you’re waiting for the day when you’ve finally “arrived,” when you’ve conquered every struggle and reached some final level of Christlikeness—you’ll be waiting forever.
This isn’t about achieving something. It’s about being changed.
Slowly. Over time. Through every failure, every lesson, every moment when you fall and get back up again.
And the beautiful thing? God is patient.
He isn’t standing there, frustrated that you’re not growing fast enough. He isn’t shaking His head every time you mess up. He sees the progress, even when you don’t.
And He’s not asking for perfection.
He’s asking for a heart that’s willing.
So if you feel like you’re falling short, if you’re wondering if you’re getting anywhere, if you’re frustrated with how long it’s taking—keep going.
You’re not failing. You’re growing.
And one day, whether you see it or not, someone will look at you and see glimpses of Jesus.
And that? That’s worth everything.
