“His third symphony revealed greatness rather than promise.” This was how the concert program introduced Carl August Nielsen, the Danish composer whose symphony we were enjoying. 

Rigorous aspirations are crucial to growth, but they also take time and repetition to master. It’s why cellists practice, pilots up their skills on simulators, writers rewrite, doctors pursue continuing education, and teachers spend hours preparing for 45-minute classes.

It also applies to following Jesus. The goal is to become the kind of person Jesus Christ would be if He were me. But this doesn’t just happen. It calls for learning from His example. What was He like? What did He teach? What was His worldview? 

Curiously, the goal of following Jesus is not to achieve greatness. It’s to surrender ourselves. To become, imperfectly and over time, the kind of persons He would be in our shoes.