Being Like Mike

Years ago was the Michael Jordan craze. Not as many young people know of him now that he is retired. They may have heard of his legacy, but they didn’t experience it. In his heyday, there was a popular phrase. Everyone wanted to “be like Mike!” This mantra began from a 1992 Gatorade commercial. And it stuck!

Growing up, we all wore his advertised shoes, shirts, hats, socks, and of course, the Chicago Bulls Starter jacket. When we played basketball, we stuck our tongue out when driving to the goal. We tried to dunk like him even if we had to lower the goal a few feet and hold a miniature ball just to do so. We attempted to mimic his every move. It is because we esteemed and believed in him. We respected him and enjoyed watching him play the game.

It is not that anyone actually worshipped him as divine, but we gave him tribute and honor from a human vantage point. Yet, spiritually speaking, we always worship what we esteem the most. We mimic what we worship. We follow those we enjoy. In a way, we BECOME like what we most cherish.

Deep down in our soul, we desire to worship someone. We were made to do so. Whether we like it or not, acknowledge it or not, we are always in a constant state of worshipping someone or something. Often, that is ourselves, and we don’t even realize it!

Jesus Christ desires for us to esteem Him the most. He is most worthy of this respect. When we put Him in the highest place in our minds, we become like Him. We mimic Him, adore him, enjoy Him, and He rubs off on us. We were created to image Him but the farther away we are from relating to Him, the less satisfied we will be. Our lives will be off track and self-focused. We will keep on worshipping but all the wrong things and individuals. If you have a nagging subtle discontentment in life, even when all seems well on the outside, this could be the solution. Christ desires a relationship with you that is more fulfilling than anything this world has to offer.

We are starting a series at COR called What We Believe. If you have ever wondered what teachings must be accepted to be a true Christ follower, this series may be beneficial. We are going to start with looking at how we have the proclivity to worship all things but not the main thing. The main thing is a Person: Jesus Christ. When we put Him first, we will be most content and begin to change within. Join us for the conversation!