Why Aren't You More Like...?

Many times over the years of my ministry, I've had this question thrown at me. "Why aren't you more like..." (fill in the blank). Sometimes it's said in a jesting way, and other times...well, not so much. In some cases, it's been a comparison and a longing for days gone by. "Why can't you be like that other pastor?" "Pastor X would have done this..." Other times, it's a query regarding character. "Why don't you act more like...so and so?" I remember a comedian several years ago pondering what it must have been like to grow up with Jesus. When you act up, Mary would ask, "Why can't you be more like Jesus?" To which, the comedian responded, you could say, "Well, Mom, why can't you be more like Jesus?" But I digress...

But I guess I don't really digress, because though sometimes those comments are vindictive and sometimes they are playful, in all cases my heart wants to respond, "But I am who God made me to be, and I pray I am becoming who he wants me to be." I've never claimed to be perfect, and I certainly have made my fair share of mistakes, flubs and foibles. I try my best to own up to them. But my only goal is to be who God made me and to become more like Jesus. I'm sorry for the times that is not enough, but I've come to see that such a situation is more the other person's problem than mine.

Who are you becoming? Who do you want to be like? Don't listen to the other voices, the expectations of people who don't understand or want you to be someone else to satisfy their needs. Who is God calling you to become?