Do You Wanna Be Like...?

We are called to follow the example of Jesus, in the manner in which he walked in His earthly ministry.  He gave His life, so that we might be raised up in Him, and through that resurrection
power, we can behave in a manner that is consistent with His character. 1st John 2 says:
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

The Bible teaches us about what pleases God, and in our flesh, our own human strength, we cannot emulate the teachings of Jesus.  But, in the power of His Spirit, as we allow the life of Christ to flow through us, we can be effective in living out His truth.  Every day, we can make the decision to die to self and live unto Christ or to exalt self, which is a path contrary to His teachings.  We have the capability, and we can trust God to cultivate in us a desire to follow Him.

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Paul was confident in his walk with the Lord, and encouraged his readers to follow His example. 1st Corinthians 11 says:
1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.

Are you like Bill?  Do you even want to be?

Yes, there is a relatively new Facebook meme that features a simple stick figure.  It started out as "Be Like Bill," but now you can customize it for yourself.

According to the BBC, the original post said: "Bill is on the internet.  Bill sees something that offends him. Bill moves on. Bill is smart. Be like Bill."

The British report says that:

"Be like Bill" urges the meme that is clogging up Facebook timelines with tongue-in-cheek advice about the correct way to behave online or how to handle other questions of modern etiquette.

Bill is far too polite to tell you straight out not to do something. Instead he leads by example. But the message is clear and often very funny.

The images first started appearing online late last year, but have surged in popularity in January, spurred on by a dedicated Facebook page simply called "Be like Bill" - which now boasts more than 1.25 million likes.

BBC Trending talked to the man behind the page, Eugeniu Croitoru, a Moldovan who lives in Milan and writes the cartoons with colleague Debabrata Nath, if he was anything like Bill. He is quoted as saying: "No, Bill is much better than me." He said: "The idea is very simple. 'Bill' can be anyone who is smart and has common sense and doesn't do annoying things. You'll also notice Bill can be someone who makes fun of himself and jokes about others too occasionally."

I wasn't impressed with the "Be Like Bill" Facebook page - the first post I saw a few days ago contained profanity.  The custom generator liked to from the TIME Magazine website featured some off-color stuff, too.  But, if your heart is set on customizing your own "Be Like Bill" meme, I would think that you can find something to your liking.

Now, there are reports that the test through which you can get your own meme may pose some security risks, including the possibility of exposing your computer to malware, which the Snopes website disputes.  It says that outlets who provide detailed online security reporting, "...haven't issued any warnings about 'Be Like Bill' or the popular comic generator. No widespread reports of adverse outcomes have substantiated news affiliate speculation, and the bulk of 'Be Like Bill'-themed reports focused on the general ability for malware to spread through apps, not any reports definitively (or anecdotally) related to that meme specifically."

USA Today reports that the Better Business Bureau is looking into possible privacy violations.

It's no surprise that there are the "Be Like Jesus" memes that have arisen.  For instance, do a search for the hashtag, #BeLikeJesus, on Facebook and you'll find a few.  One says, "This is JESUS.  Jesus is the Son of God.  Jesus died on the Cross and rose again.  Jesus is loving, patient, kind, truth, hope, forgiving, almighty.  Jesus is the way.  Be like JESUS."  That's from Living Word Baptist Church in Odessa, TX.

On a simpler note, you have The Love Movement's meme:  "This is Jesus.  Jesus loved you even before you loved Him. Jesus wants you to love God and to love your neighbor.  Jesus forgives you. Be like Jesus."

Then there's the handwritten one that was posted multiple times:  "This is Jesus. Jesus gave up his life for his friends.  Jesus loves you.  Be like Jesus."

So, this self-improvement meme is out there - maybe you've seen it, maybe you've actually generated your own.  It's all in good fun, but it can raise an important question - who do you want to be like? All Christian counterculture references aside, to be an imitator of Jesus is a worthy goal and should be the aim of our lives.  Paul said basically to "be like me," as he followed Christ.  Certainly we cannot pay the penalty for our own sins, much less the sins of humanity, like Jesus did.  But, we are encouraged to follow in His footsteps - 1st John reminds us that Christ is our example.

So, even though WWJD is a thing of the past, and the "Be Like Jesus/Be Like Bill" takeoff is probably not going to make a major splash, the principle is a sound one:  we should make it our aim to allow His life to be expressed through us.  We can read about His character and demeanor, we can study and know His truth, and we can be energized by the power of His Holy Spirit.   We can't do it in our own strength, but in the power of God.