What does it mean to be in someone? Have you ever heard of someone being in someone else’s head? Have you heard someone say a child has a lot of their mother or father in them? What does it mean if someone had a lot of a mentor in them?
Having someone else in your head can be good or bad. Typically, when we hear that phrase, it is used to mean a person is allowing another to overpower them mentally. One person controls the thoughts of another by their mere presence.
On the other hand, we may see physical looks or mental attitude in a child they inherited from one of their parents. We also may see dependencies, such as alcoholism or drug addictions passed on to children. Even in adopted children, we see them take on the tendencies of their adoptive parents, especially if they were adopted at a very young age.
We also may take on habits or traits of a mentor. This is particularly true when mentors come into a child’s life. I think of the Big Brother and Big Sister programs. But I’ve also seen it happen in the military when mentorship programs are implemented.
Jesus wants to be in us. He wants us to take on His traits, His attitude, and His thoughts. How do we do that? Just like children with parents, or a mentee with a mentor, we must spend time with Him. It may be quiet time in mediation or prayer. I may be through reading God’s Word. I may be spending time in Bible studies. It may be reading theological or Christian authors.
What is the purpose for us to take on being like Jesus? It is to be His representative on this earth. It is to show Him to others. It is to make the world a better place. It is to save the lost. All in order to execute God’s plan.
As we become more like Jesus, we also become of the same mind. We unify as the body of Christ. We stop allowing division over preferences, instead pursuing the mission God set before us. We come to understand the important things in life, setting aside the world’s priorities.
I pray we all spend time with God. I pray we pursue being the image of Jesus here on earth. I pray each one of us long to be Jesus’ representative to everyone we encounter. Take on the traits of Jesus. Have the same attitude as Jesus. Have the same thoughts as Jesus. Be Jesus’ representative. Pursue what is important to God. Be of one mind. Be unified in Spirit.
John 17:25-26 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Marty Pressey 