A heart like Jesus'

I've just started reading 'Just like Jesus' by Max Lucado, because I think he's a phenomenal writer (and a wise one, too). I spotted this book at the church library and was hooked immediately after glancing through the first chapter. What he said was really meaningful and spoke volumes to me.

This is what he writes.

A heart like His

What if, for one day, Jesus were to become you? What if Jesus wakes up in your bed, walks in your shoes, lives in your home, and assumes your schedule? Nothing about your life changes - your circumstances remain the same, your problems aren't solved, your mistakes aren't wiped away - but one change occurs. Your heart gets the day off, and your life is led by the heart of Christ. His priorities govern your actions. His passions drive your decisions. His love directs your behavior. What would you be like? Would others notice a change?

God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.

(I think this about sums up what God desires for each and every one of us.)

If you think His love for you would be stronger if your faith were, you're wrong. If you think His love would be deeper if your thoughts were, wrong again. Don't confuse God's love with the love of people. Their love often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. But God loves you right where you are.

God's love never ceases. Never. Though we spurn him. Ignore him. Reject him. Despise him. Disobey him. He will not change. Our evil cannot diminish his love. Our goodness cannot increase it. Our faith does not earn it anymore than our stupidity jeopardizes it. God doesn't love us less if we fail or more if we succeed. God's love never ceases.

Sometimes we think we can't change, and we attribute our pessimism or bad temper or tendency to lie to our character or nature. But where did we get that idea from? If we have a broken leg, of course we want to fix it. Shouldn't we do the same with our hearts and seek help for our wrong attitudes? We can change, because Jesus can change us.

If we are in Christ, we already have the heart of Christ. If we have given our lives to Jesus, Jesus has given himself to us. He has made our hearts his home and is ready to change us to be more like him.