“Swifties” are Taylor Swift’s dedicated and passionate fans. They know everything about her career and music, attend concerts, interact with her on social media, and become involved in fan discussions and events.1 About 23 percent of the adult population of the United States are “Swifties.”2 I have a hunch that millions want to be like Taylor Swift or at least be as famous as she is.
Who we imitate speaks volumes about our values. When I was growing up, I wanted to be like Sandy Koufax, a pitcher for the Dodgers. He dominated the competition the way I wanted to.
Remnants of that desire still swirl within me. I admire people who set athletic records—especially those who distance themselves from their closest competitors like Simone Biles in women’s gymnastics or Caitlin Clark in women’s basketball.
That desire to dominate started diminishing in the fall of 1968 after I trusted in Jesus alone as the all-sufficient sacrifice for my sins. I began to want to be like Him. I still do, but I have a long way to go.
It is a challenge. God must turn one who wants to be a dominator into a servant. I am confident He can. He who can make something out of nothing (Genesis 1:1) will accomplish it. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6 NLT).
The Holy Spirit makes us like Jesus. He produces the necessary heart change, the want to. That is the foundation. See more about the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
“A person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people” (Romans 2:29 NLT). It is a sea-change of values for those formerly motivated only by a “craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions” (1 John 2:16 NLT).
God chose us to become like Jesus and a part of His family (Romans 8:29). The Holy Spirit supplies the holiness we need to be acceptable offerings to God (Romans 15:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2).
As a result, we seek to obey God and Jesus Christ’s blood has cleansed us. “For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins” (Hebrews 9:14 NLT).
That same Spirit vindicated Him by raising Him from the dead, demonstrating that Jesus was God's Son (1 Timothy 3:16, 1 Peter 3:18).
The Spirit enables us to see and reflect Jesus’ glory. He is making us progressively more like Him and changing us into His glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18). At one time our lives were stem to stern darkness. We had no Jesus likeness whatsoever. Things have changed.
When we were born again, the Spirit installed within us as Jesus’ followers the light of Jesus’ life (John 8:12). We are the world’s light. The brighter the light shines, the better (Matthew 5:14–16). The Holy Spirit is at work in us supplying the power to be made like Jesus and to shine ever more brightly. See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians.
God has empowered me to write “His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength.” It’s a free evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship resource. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead more than 2,550 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 7,805 people. I invite you to check it out. https://www.christiangrowthresources.com/his-power-for-your-weakness
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