Wanna Be Like My Jesus

For almost a year now, the pastors of Southside Fellowship have been teaching through the Gospel of Mark in a series called “Real Jesus Real Life”. A focus of this teaching has been dispelling our own personal ideas of who Jesus is and replacing any false ideas of Jesus with the true Jesus as depicted in Scripture. The teaching has been phenomenal, and I often find myself thinking “Why do I believe that about Jesus?” or “Why do I put Jesus in a Rachelle-sized box?”

I’ve been listening to the musical genius of Todd Agnew today, and I love his song “My Jesus.” The lyrics challenge me, particularly my perception of Jesus, even more particularly the way I neglect to imitate the Christ of Scripture.

Todd references these verses in Ephesians: “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” (5:1-2). I challenge you to reflect on these two verses and read through the lyrics of “My Jesus”. I hope you’ll find yourself asking questions similar to my own:

How well do I imitate Christ when I shirk back in fear as a homeless person asks for some spare change?

How well do I imitate Christ when I stare judgmentally at a woman who is immodestly dressed?

How well do I imitate Christ when I meet women who are trapped and suffering in abusive relationships?

How well do I imitate Christ when my heartbroken waitress shares her story with me?

Am I seeking the wealth of this world, or do I hunger and thirst for righteousness?

Do I bow down to the American dream, or do I submit my life to my Savior?

Do I imitate the Rachelle-sized Jesus I’ve created in my mind, or do I imitate the true Jesus of Scripture – the Jesus who laid down His life for the “least of these”?

How much am I willing to sacrifice in order to be like Jesus? He went as far as sacrificing His own life for me.

My Jesus by Todd Agnew

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a poster child for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me
Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like my Jesus