My Desire: I Want to Be Like Jesus

Every believer is born into a family with a destiny already written. From the beginning, God purposed that His children would be “conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). The wonder is that we are not asked to manufacture this likeness by effort alone. The One who began the work promises to finish it, and the day is coming when “we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

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That is the heart of this teaching. The desire to be like Jesus is a hunger the Holy Spirit places in every born-again person, and it is answered not by religious striving but by beholding Him and yielding to the One who lives in us. As you read, let “I want to be like You, Jesus” become your own prayer, and let Scripture show you how He answers it.

The burning desire and the consuming passion of the heart of every disciple of Christ should be this—to be like Master Jesus. This should be the chorus flowing with melodious fragrance from our lips during every waking moment. “I want to be like You, Jesus” should be the lyrics of the songs we sing as we fall asleep and our waking prayer. If you are born-again, this is what God has given you the privilege and the ability to become.

But what does it really mean to be like Jesus? To walk in His footsteps and live a life that resembles His? In this article, we will explore the meaning of being like Jesus and how we can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, work towards this goal.

What does it mean to be like Jesus?

To be like Jesus is to follow in His footsteps by serving and loving others with a pure heart. The blood of Jesus has the power to cleanse us and make us pure again. When we live out our faith and testify about Him, we become more like Jesus. Worshiping Jesus as a mighty God is also a way of being like Him. When we follow Jesus, we focus on Him and make Him the center of our lives. We strive to become more like Him every day by exhibiting His qualities of compassion, kindness, forgiveness, and selflessness. That way, we mirror Jesus and become a light to the world by spreading His message and sharing His love with others.

Is It Even Possible to Be Like Jesus?

No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to comprehend the manner of man that Jesus Christ was. This is what prompted the disciples, after He calmed the raging sea, to ask the question: What manner of man is this? And yet the Scripture tells us that we shall be like Him.

So is it possible to be like Jesus? Yes, it is. God said so! And therefore, it is settled. I know it’s quite overwhelming to imagine that you and I can be anything like Him. It is an impossible expectation when we think about it from a human standpoint. But with God, nothing is impossible.

How can I become more like Jesus?

Becoming more like Jesus requires a pure heart and a desire to serve and love others. Jesus is our ultimate example of how to live, love, and thrive in this world. A good start is to pray for guidance and seek ways to serve others with a heart of selflessness. It’s also helpful to sing or listen to songs like “I Wanna Be More Like You” to keep our focus on the goal of becoming like Jesus. Remember, through Christ, we are resurrected and no longer condemned. As we surrender our lives to Jesus, we become vessels for God to work through. With faith and a willingness to serve, we can become closer to the person we were meant to be: like Jesus.

How Do We Become More Like Jesus?

Becoming more like Jesus is a lifelong pursuit that requires commitment, dedication, and submission to God’s Word and to the Holy Spirit. No matter how hard a carnal man tries, he will never attain or even begin to comprehend the mind of Christ. No matter how hard you and I try, we will never become like Christ through our good works.

The purpose of the admonition in this chapter is not for us to begin to act religiously in an attempt to be like Christ. This is not about learning and cultivating moral virtues but about living the supernatural life. On the other hand, this is a life of reality, a genuine exhibition of nature and the life of the Son of God who lives in us. Becoming like Jesus allows the greater One who lives inside us to show His life through us. It is about us surrendering to the greater One in us so that He can control our lives, and so men will see His life manifesting through us.

Dedicate oneself to Godliness.

First, the child of God must forsake worldliness and all her alluring. The Bible says, “Love not the world, neither the things in the world.” (1 John 2:15) The verse then states that if any of us love the world, it is proof that the love of the Father is not in us. Instead, the child of God must consecrate and dedicate themselves to God.

Walk in the Spirit

Second, a child of God must learn to walk in the spirit and refuse to be governed by the flesh. The spirit, which was once dead in trespasses and sin, is now alive and ready to take possession of the mind. Now the child of God can begin to exhibit the mind of Christ gradually.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16)

Here, then, is the solution: Walk after the leading and the direction of the reborn spirit, and you’ll overcome the cravings of the flesh.

Submit to the Word, Renew the Mind

The reborn spirit is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and is made in God’s image. It seeks to rule the mind after the will of God and subdue everything to the obedience of Christ. It is at war against the flesh, determined to cast down everything that opposes God and subdue it unto Christ.

The spirit now has a great work to do: to take responsibility for the mind and begin the work of renewal with the word of God. The flesh has been in charge for many years, dominating and influencing the mind; now, the spirit must repossess the mind and renew it so that it may, in turn, renew the body. This way, man will return to his original state as a spiritual mind, and the whole tripartite being of man will return to the state in which God created it.

This spirit-controlled mind is, therefore, from the born-again inner man which comes from God, and it is the same mind that’s in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion

In conclusion, becoming like Jesus requires a daily commitment to follow in His footsteps. We must study His life and teachings, consistently spending time reading the Bible and praying. It also involves surrendering our own desires and allowing His will to guide us. Ultimately, it is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are transformed into His likeness. Let us yield to the Spirit and the Word so we can be more like Jesus in everything we do, treating others with love and compassion and sharing His message of hope with those around us.

For a deeper study on this, read the book, “Let This Mind Be in You,” by Dr. Joseph Olarewaju.

Application

Begin each day by asking the Holy Spirit to show you one place where your thinking, speech, or response is still governed by the flesh, and yield that place to Him (Galatians 5:16).
Read a portion of the Gospels slowly each day. Notice how Jesus responded to people, pressure, and prayer, and ask how the same Spirit would have you respond today.
Choose one worldly habit to replace this week with a spiritual one: Scripture, prayer, or quiet service to someone in need (1 John 2:15).
Renew your mind with the Word. Take one verse, such as 2 Corinthians 3:18, and meditate on it until it shapes how you see yourself.

Key Takeaway

Becoming like Jesus is not self-improvement. It is the life of Christ reproduced in a surrendered believer who walks in the Spirit, refuses the pull of the world, and renews the mind with the Word.

In Closing

The desire to be like Jesus is itself a gift from God, and the One who put it in your heart will bring it to completion. Keep your eyes on Him and stay yielded to the Spirit, being “confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Content License: This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. You may share this article with attribution and a link back to the original URL. Commercial use, paraphrasing without attribution, or republishing without written permission is prohibited. © 2026 To Know Jesus — Joseph S. Olarewaju.