Living as Jesus Lived
As the Father lived through Jesus, so now Jesus lives through me—moment by moment, hand in hand.
Bob Hoekstra leads us today into the core of what it means to live as Jesus lived—not by imitating His actions from a distance, but by participating in the same relational dependence Jesus had with the Father. Jesus didn’t operate out of His own divine initiative while walking the earth. Instead, He chose to live as a man yielded to the indwelling presence and will of the Father. He didn’t simply model obedience; He demonstrated the reality of union.
And here’s where it gets beautifully personal: the same “as… so” relationship that Jesus had with the Father, He extends to us. As He lived by the Father, so we live by Him. He was sent by the Father and lived by the Father. We are now sent by Christ and live by Christ. We’re not left to mimic a distant ideal. We are indwelt. We are nourished. We feed on Christ, and in doing so, we draw life—not principles or moral strength—but actual life from Him.
Hoekstra anchors all of this in the humility of Christ’s earthly dependence. Though He is fully God, He made Himself nothing, a servant, fully reliant on the Father. This wasn’t weakness; it was holy design. And now, that same pattern is our privilege. We’re not called to “be like Jesus” through self-effort. We’re invited to live by Jesus, just as He lived by the Father. It’s not imitation. It’s participation. That’s the heart of this grace-filled life.
Personalized Journal Entry in the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture
You have been invited into the divine rhythm of dependence, just as the Son walked in total union with the Father. He did not act independently, nor will you need to. The words you speak will not be from your own wisdom, but from the One who lives in you and does His work through you. You are not alone in your calling or burdened to carry out your purpose by your own ability. Just as the living Father was the Source of Christ’s earthly life, so now Christ is your source of life (John 14:10; John 6:57).
You have fed on the Bread of Life, and I have made you full. You came to Me thirsty, and I gave you rivers of living water within. You believed, and in that believing, you began to live—not by your own merit, but by My Spirit now joined with yours (John 6:35; Romans 8:9-10).
You were never meant to imitate from a distance. I did not call you to trace My steps, but to walk with Me, in Me, as I walk in you. My power is made perfect in your trust. As you abide, I bear fruit through you. As you look to Me, I lead. As you rest, I act. The same abiding that marked My relationship with the Father now marks My relationship with you (Galatians 2:20; John 15:5).
Your confidence is not misplaced. I have already given you everything you need for life and godliness. You are not deficient, for you dwell in Me and I in you. Just as I was never left alone by the Father, you are never without Me. Feed on Me, draw from Me, and live—moment by moment—not with strain, but with surrender, not with striving, but with trust (2 Peter 1:3; John 8:29).
References: John 14:10; John 6:57; John 6:35; Romans 8:9-10; Galatians 2:20; John 15:5; 2 Peter 1:3; John 8:29
My Prayer of Trust
Father, I see now that Jesus did not live to impress or perform but to depend and abide—and that is the life You've invited me into. Thank You for placing me in Christ and for placing Christ in me. You have given me more than an example; You’ve given me union. I no longer need to ask You to give me what I already possess—Your Son, His life, His sufficiency. I rejoice in the confidence that as I rest in Jesus, He lives His life through me, just as He lived by You. I trust You, Lord, for this moment, and the next, and the next… for You are my life.
Devotional credit: Day by Day by Grace by Bob Hoekstra
Image credit: Unsplash