Book Review: Just like Jesus by Max Lucado

I love reading books by Max Lucado. I imagine him being a soft-spoken gentleman with a very close relationship with God who delights in pointing others to Him.

This book is such an amazing book for anyone who is in doubt or not fully convinced that it is possible to be like Jesus. Max starts and ends this book by stating that “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. More than anything, He wants you to be just like Jesus.” What an amazing revelation.

The layout of the book is a very interesting one. Max starts each chapter with a scripture, which the reader is to ponder. Then he encourages the reader step by step on ways to be like Jesus. I would not go into all the steps as that would defeat the purpose of the review, but I would highlight points I found noteworthy.

The fact that you are loved right where you are is a relief as you can be rest assured that His love does not decrease with lack of performance or mistakes. You are loved right where you are. This revelation makes one realise that as we are shown mercy and love, it is our responsibility to show that same mercy and love to others around us irrespective of how they have grieved us. As Max puts it: “Relationships don’t thrive because the guilty are punished but because the innocent are merciful”.

He also lays emphasis on the fact that having a constant relationship with Jesus (by spending time with Him and studying the scriptures) is the first step to being like Jesus. The tools needed for this are a regular time and place, an open bible and an open heart. With these tools, you are ready to be like Jesus. Being like Jesus is a process aided by these tools.

The beauty of it is that we can be just like Jesus because we have been wired to do so from the beginning of time. We need to tune in until we get to a point where separation from God is definitely death.