Book Reflection: Into His Likeness Ch.5&6
“You wish to scale a mountain and the good God wants to make you descend; he is waiting for you low down in the fertile valley of humility.”
St. Therese of Lisieux
You are chosen. Unlike the cultural norms of his time, where disciples would choose their master, Jesus took the initiative to select and invite his disciples intentionally. It was Jesus’ initiative to choose you, not your own. He reminds us in John 15:16 that, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you.”
Often, when we decide to follow Jesus, we do so with our own terms and conditions, hesitating to fully surrender ourselves to his will. Even the disciples, whom we admire as models of faith, were not perfect. They experienced doubt, weakness, and moments of failure. Yet, Jesus worked with their imperfections, gradually transforming them into saints.
As we journey in faith, we will encounter moments of doubt, weakness, and temptation. We may find ourselves battling the same struggles repeatedly, which can be frustrating. Yet, it's crucial to understand that becoming more like Christ is not solely our work but the Lord's. He sees the potential within us and offers us grace to have confidence and trust in him.
In our journey, Jesus challenges us to take up our cross, which may not always be comfortable. However, it's through dying to self that we find true life and become a gift of self to others. It's a path of humility, where we surrender ourselves to God's will, knowing that He wants to meet us where we are and lift us up by His grace.
God wants to help us. Will you let Him? Even when you fall, will you let Him pick you up?
May we always have the courage to let go and let God lead us, trusting in His love and mercy every step of the way. Our path to holiness is not about perfection but about humility and surrender, fully relying on God's grace to lift us up.
In the words of St. Therese of Lisieux, “I wish to find the way to go to Heaven by a very straight, short, completely new little way. We are in a century of inventions; now one does not even have to take the trouble to climb the steps of a stairway; in the homes of the rich, an elevator replaces them nicely. I, too, would like to find an elevator to lift me up to Jesus, for I am too little to climb the rough stairway of perfection… The elevator which must raise me to the heavens is Your arms, O Jesus! For that, I do not need to grow; on the contrary, I must necessarily remain small, become smaller.”
“Our becoming disciples was not our work, but the Lord’s.”
Edward Sri, Into His Likeness
ponder
Part 1: Be My Disciple | Chapter 5: Not Perfect, but Chosen
How has God used certain people or circumstances in your life to draw you closer to Him? How does knowing that God seeks us out and takes the initiative in our discipleship impact the way you view your friendship with Him?
In this chapter, we saw how Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said that “holiness does not consist in not making mistakes or never sinning.” How might knowing that the saints were works in progress–men and women who struggled with sin but had the capacity for conversion and the will to try again and again–offer you encouragement in your own walk with the Lord?
Part 2: The Encounter | Chapter 6: Meeting God in the Valley
What sometimes keeps you from facing the honest truth about yourself and allowing God to meet you as you are, with all your sins, wound, and poverty? Is it pride? Not wanting to admit your faults? Not wanting to change? Fear that you won’t like what you see? Fear that God will reject you?
Do you ever get discouraged or frustrated with your weakness and failures? How might this be a form of pride? What is a better way to respond to our faults and sins?
Into His Likeness provides an approachable but in-depth exploration of how to live as a disciple and experience the transformation Jesus wants to work in our lives. We might desire to live more like Christ, but we know we fall short. This book simply helps us follow those initial promptings of the Holy Spirit, so that we may more intentionally encounter Jesus anew each day and be more disposed to his grace changing us ever more into his likeness.
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