Be Like Him
Resources

Reflection Guide

Instructions: Take a moment to pause and bring yourself to stillness. Listen to Be Like Him while meditating on the piece of artwork, then work through the below questions and practice. 

The Scottish writer and politician Andrew Fletcher is attributed saying, “Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.” He understood that songs powerfully work in people at an almost subconscious level. Maybe that’s why songs have been used to do everything from teaching children the alphabet, to energizing a soccer team, to galvanizing military troops. Songs can change environments, form hearts, and shape communities. Be Like Him is meant to do just that. It is a song of worship but not in the sense that it praises or adores God. This song runs in a tradition similar to Psalm 1 where the worshiping community is invited to make a decision about who they will become through poetry and song. To join into the people of God is to be like a tree planted by rivers of living water (referenced in the artwork) that over the seasons of life will produce fruit.

Notice the progression of the verses. The first verse metaphorically begins at sunrise and names the intention for the day - to follow Jesus. The second verse looks out the window and sees that the idols and gods of the city overpromise and underdeliver. The third verse is a declaration of intent to live out the deepest desire of faithfulness to Jesus over the often more immediately appealing desires that the worshiper is confronted with each day. 

The song is a conversation between God, the worshiper, and the worshiping community. The song is a confession, petition, and declaration all at once. She verbalizes the temptation to live for things, pleasure, riches, endeavors, and distractions. She knows that these things have formed and will attempt to form her. She needs mending and reforming back to her intended design like a piece of clay or metal. She’s like a ship needing to be redirected and steered toward true north. 

The worshiper’s voice rises. She names reality among the illusive voices of the world, flesh, and devil. She hears the voices of other worshipers - her voice joining the communal harmonies. She gets louder, repeating and even shouting the ascending melodies “I wanna be like Him!” But then the worshiper ends her song quietly, almost like her final thoughts before bed. She repeats the verse she sang before but with slight variations to the notation. Her resolution - fidelity to Jesus, His Kingdom and His way.

Songs can change environments, form hearts, and shape communities. That’s why the end goal of worship songs is not so much that they would be sung, heard, or felt, but that they would be lived. 

Questions to Consider and Journal: 

1. Where do you find yourself in the story of Be Like Him? 

2. Who is the worshiper singing to? Her soul, her city, other worshipers around her, God? Why do you think that and what does that mean?  

3. What are some of your current most immediate desires? Contrast them with your deepest desires. 

4. What does it look like in this season of your life to live out of your will and intention to follow Jesus? 

Discussion for Families: 

1. What are some ways you want to be like Jesus?

2. Why do we want to be like Jesus?

3. Is there something that Jesus said that is hard for you to do? 

4. How can we become more like Jesus?

Scriptures to Meditate on or Memorize: Psalm 1, Romans 12.1-2, Matthew 6.19-21, Matthew 7.24-27

Practice: To embody this song, try fasting from food and praying. You can fast for a meal or a 24-hour period. However you choose to fast, use the time that you would normally be eating to pray through the themes of the above Scriptures and the lyrics of Be Like Him. If fasting from food is too upstream, try abstaining from something like entertainment or media. 

Practice Ideas for Families:  To embody this song, try one of the following ideas. 

1. Draw, paint, or write prayers asking God to make you more like Jesus. 

2. Pick one way that you want to be more like Jesus and carve out time in your family's week to intentionally practice being like Jesus in that way. 

Chord Charts

Download chord charts for Be Like Him.

MultiTracks

MultiTracks are all of the individual parts or "stems" that make up an Original Master Recording. MultiTracks for Be Like Him are now available.

Phone Wallpaper

The single artwork for Be Like Him is available as a phone background.