"His Likeness"

"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
  
With a new year beginning I had a thought that I wanted to share with you. It begins with the following:

I don't know about you but my first reaction when I read this was to find it more than a little bit humorous. But! And I do mean BUT in a big way. It is actually illuminating a very real truth. A truth that I personally want to take into the New Year in a much bigger way than I ever have before....."He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 17:15 and it says "...As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness." To come into that place where my thoughts and deeds look more and more like Jesus is to say the least, my hearts desire. I dare say it is many of yours as well. The truth is, the only way for it to happen is for us to surrender more to His leading, or rather His will in our lives, the same way that Jesus was surrendered to the Father's.

Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. John 5:19

My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. John 4:34

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:38

I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgement is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. John 5:30

I love that Jesus, the Son of Man, is the perfect example of all things for us!

If Jesus was as it says in Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) "...the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being" because He was surrendered not only to the will of the Father but to His working through Him in everything that He said and did then ...?

I'm not making an official New Years Resolution but what I am saying is that personally, I am determined to be more resolute in my resolve to 'awake in His likeness.' I am determined to let His will be done in both my words and my deeds as I surrender to the author and finisher of my faith! Why? Because I KNOW that :

God Bless!!!