Imitating Jesus more this new year

By John Heerema, Op-ed contributor Saturday, January 20, 2024

Silhouette of a cross against the sky during sunset. | Getty images

The arrival of a new year is always a time of resetting and looking back at the past year to see how we should live in the next year. The question of “How can I change in the next twelve months?” is preeminent as we consider our New Year’s resolutions. While January is oftentimes a month dedicated to positioning ourselves for success in the new year, I’m encouraged by the reminder that God is steadfast.

God’s unchanging nature is referred to as Immutability, meaning that if God were to change, it would invalidate His perfection. Therefore, He was, is, and always will be perfect. It’s a stark contrast from our imperfect nature, looking for new ways to become the best version of ourselves every new year. The beautiful promise of the Gospel is that we, as imperfect people, can still enter into a relationship with God.

God made a promise to His followers in Micah 3:6: “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

This promise shows an important distinction between man and God. Because God is perfect, His promises remain true from generation to generation. Because man is imperfect, it’s necessary to have a relationship with God because only through Him is redemption possible. Because He is unchanging in His nature of love, mercy, and justice, His people are not consumed, or destroyed because of imperfection!

Jesus is the only person to ever walk on Earth completely free from sin. His sacrifice on the cross bridged the gap between sin and the Kingdom of Heaven, making it possible for anybody to be redeemed from sin and enter into a loving relationship with God. In other words, Jesus extended God’s grace as a gift to cover our imperfections. It’s an encouraging reminder as we reset in the new year that our God doesn’t expect perfection. Instead, Jesus’ sacrifice invalidates brokenness and imperfection and presents us as new creations worthy of redemption.

As we look forward to the remainder of the year, challenging ourselves to become better versions of ourselves, I pray that we are reminded of Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:1-2:

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Be encouraged to spend time this year praying how you can better imitate Christ and let the Lord guide you toward becoming more like Him. Pray that He will show you how to walk in love and humility for our neighbors. He promises to make all things new and redeem all creation, and His promises remain true for all eternity. As you reset this year, fix your eyes on Christ and let His perfect love redeem your imperfections!

John Heerema was a successful business owner in 1999. John and his wife Kathy enjoyed a leisurely lifestyle in the resort city of Naples, Florida. Sitting on the floor one evening with their young daughter and a son on the way, John and Kathy reflected on how they had built the “perfect life.” Shortly thereafter, John was blindsided by a question he had read in a book. The question that pierced John’s heart was this: Are you living a little life in your own little world, or are you willing to live a BIGLIFE, a life with a big impact for the Kingdom of God? John began to struggle with the realization that his perfect little life was perfectly shallow. After wrestling with God, John walked away from his business to join God, where He was already working. A ministry called Biglife was started. Biglife now serves in over 160 countries, reaching millions of people with the Gospel message in some of the darkest strongholds on earth. Through life-on-life discipleship, living a life with a big Kingdom impact is the core of everything we do and the heartbeat of who we are.