one of the things that William Young says in the book The Shack is about the example of Jesus' life. Jesus speaks to Mack and says " My life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not trying to 'be like Jesus', it means your independence to be killed. I came to give you life, real life, my life. We will come and live our life inside of you, so that you begin to see with our eyes, and hear with our ears, and touch with our hands and think like we do. But we will never force that union on you..."
In an interview that I watched posted by Lynn on the site, William talked about this point that he made. (watch the interview, it's only about 7 minutes long) He talked of God coming to live inside us in our uniqueness. Jesus in me is going to look differently to Jesus in you. I suppose that even in being like Jesus we are striving for performance. When we allow Jesus to be himself in us and through us in the way that He made us, then we are following him. He has taught us how to live, he has taught us how to pray...but there is so much more to praying that prayer than simply repeating it or duplicating it. There is so much more to the fullness of life that he has brought us than simply copying him or becoming religious about the way that we act. Where it gets hard for us...is giving up our independence and becoming dependant on him.
There is something in our society that says to be dependant is being a burden. But we are not a burden to God. there is something that says that being dependant means we are not capable to go it alone or do it ourselves...well, we are not! haha...or the version of life on our own, living in our independent, proving to the world 'I can do it' way, is just rubbish compared to the life of abundance and fullness and love and reassurance and peace and joy and hope that we can have when we lay ourselves down and let God come and be God inside of us and through us and for us and with us.
Jesus only did what he saw the Father doing. But, that wasn't a formula that was laid out before or a step by step guide of how to be the Son of God...it was and is a relationship between Father and Son. It was a submission, a beautiful humility that Jesus showed in following Father God instead of doing his own thing.
"I am about being. As you grow in relationship with me, what you do will simply reflect who you really are" (Jesus speaking to Mack)
so...we are not supposed to copy Jesus' example..?? I am asking...as, even though I see room for what William is saying, for the most part agree and I find freedom in it, I don't fully agree...I wonder what you think....?