Let’s talk about heroes. Everybody’s got one. Sports stars; YouTubers; celebrities; the kid at school who can skateboard and solve a Rubik’s cube.
But out of everyone who ever lived, there’s one person who stands out as the greatest example of what a human life should look like: Jesus Christ. He has more followers than anyone in history— and not just online followers, but in real life.
Jesus lived human life perfectly. The closer we align our lives to his, the closer we will be to our perfect destiny.
So how did Jesus grow up? What was his focus?
The Bible gives us a pretty amazing summary in Luke 2:52:
“Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
Let’s break that down. Jesus grew in four main areas of his life — and we can too:
1. Jesus Grew Intellectually (aka: His Brain)
When Jesus was a kid, one of the biggest stories we get is him hanging out in the temple with experts — asking deep questions, listening carefully, and honestly, just kind of blowing the grown-ups away with how sharp he was, especially about the Law of God.
This shows us that Jesus wanted to learn. He wasn’t wasting his time watching donkey-cart crash videos on scrollTok. Rather, he would spend time pouring over God’s Word.
Imagine you’re dropped off at a carnival (like Sailfest in New London) with no rules and total freedom. Where would we find you— The cotton candy stand? Riding the rides? Jesus would’ve been a church asking, “So, about the prophecies of Isaiah…”
📚 Illustration:
Think of your brain like a gym. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. So read. Ask questions. Hang out with wise people (yes, even if they have gray hair).
Or as Proverbs 1:5 says:
“A wise person will hear and increase learning…”
TIP: Be friends with the smartest people — even if they’re dead.
(That’s what books are for!) As one person pointed out— A library is an amazing place when you view it as a portal to the past to meet with all the great people of history.
2. Jesus Grew Physically (aka: His Body)
Jesus worked hard. He was a carpenter — probably ripped. He ate real food, didn’t stay up until 3am scrolling memes, and didn’t have a Mountain Dew addiction.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31:
“Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do — do it all for the glory of God.”
🏋️♂️ Illustration:
Your body is kind of like a car. You wouldn’t pour soda in the gas tank and expect it to run well, right?
Same with your body. You need good fuel: water, real food, plenty of sleep, exercise.
Do:
- Eat stuff with nutrients and vitamins that will strengthen your body. Whole foods.
- Sleep enough that you don’t look like a zombie in math class.
- Do something active (sports, karate, walking your goldfish).
Don’t:
- Survive on Hot Cheetos and energy drinks
- Binge video games all night
- Treat your phone like it’s part of your hand
3. Jesus Grew Spiritually (aka: His Soul)
Jesus didn’t just know about God — he loved God. He cared about what made his Father happy and spent time doing it.
You don’t have to be a grown-up pastor to grow spiritually and to serve God.
Becoming more like Jesus is not rocket science. It’s really this simple:
- Read the Bible.
- Actually do what it says
Psalm 1 says if you delight in God’s Word and think about it, you’ll be like a tree — strong, growing, and full of life.
🌳 Illustration:
Think of your soul like a tree.
No water = dead, languishing tree. Water every day = strong, fruitful tree.
No Word = dead, languishing soul. Word every day = Strong, fruitful soul.
4. Jesus Grew in Relationships (aka: His Social Life)
Jesus loved people and people loved Jesus: when he was a toddler, a teen and an adult. Everyone liked being around him. He made people feel seen, valued, and loved.
So how do you become the kind of person people like to be around?
Simple:
- Be kind
- Help out
- Respect others
- Smile (it helps, seriously)
- Don’t be that kid who’s always grumpy and roasting people for fun
The Golden Rule. Jesus said:
“Do to others as you want them to do to you.” (Luke 6:31) This is so important because many time other people will do to you what you do to them. Ask yourself these questions: “What do I actually want people to do to me?” “How exactly do I want people to talk to me?” “What kind of spirit do I want others to carry when they’re around me?”
👥 Illustration:
Think of your relationships like mirrors. If you’re rude and arrogant, others will probably treat you accordingly. But if you’re kind and helpful, people reflect that back to you.
Final Thoughts: Why It Matters
Imitating Jesus isn’t just a nice idea — it’s a command.
If you’re not following Jesus, you’ll end up following someone or something else — and whatever you follow becomes your idol.
You start to act like what you admire. You’ll become like what you worship.
So the real question is:
Who are you becoming?
Are you being molded into the image of some popular person in the online world? Or are you learning to love and live like Jesus?
Because here’s a truth bomb:
“I will honor those who honor Me.” – God (1 Samuel 2:30)
If you make space for God in your life, He’ll make space for you in His plans.
But if you push Him out, you’re pushing away the greatest source of blessing and purpose you’ll ever know.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
Jesus grew in four areas — and so should you:
- Mind – Learn stuff. Read good godly stuff. Ask questions.
- Body – Take care of yourself. Sleep. Eat right. Move.
- Spirit – Know God. Read the Bible. Obey it.
- Relationships – Be kind. Respect people. Smile. Serve.
Don’t settle for being a copy of someone else.
Imitate Jesus. He’s the real deal.
*This core of this article is all the original content of the author. However, some help (formatting, word choice, suggestions for humor, etc.) was used in the article from chat
Brother Lee 