To be like who?

Ahhh, I am still under that pressure to be like _________ (you fill in the blank). There is so much pressure to deny how God has made each of us unique with the strengths and weaknesses that are curious to each of us. But then the world says, 'you should do', 'you should be', you should ... should ... should ... should ...

Deeper than all the human 'shoulds' is who and whose we are. We are creatures and we belong to God. Keeping in mind to whom I belong is an aid to me in decisions. So my thoughts drifted this morning as I read:

"What is in your mind shall never happen--the thought, 'Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone'" (Ezekiel 20:32).

If there is any applicable "let us be like" for me, it would be, "let us strive, struggle, focus on being like Jesus who gave himself over to loving God, neighbor, enemy, and self".