You Look Just Like Your Dad | Today with Dr. Mark Jobe

As I grew older, people would tell me, "You look just like your Dad." As a teenager, I argued that I looked nothing like him. Now, I take that as a great compliment. My father, Bob Jobe, who died 22 years ago, has been the most influential Christian in my life. He was a pioneer, a maverick, a pastor, and a missionary. He had a mechanic's hands lined with car oil, but also an open heart.

My father was a big presence, with his clear voice, loud laugh, and firm hands. He was an encourager, a motivator, known for loving God, loving life, and loving people. His Christlike values have been passed down to me and to my children.

Who do people say you look like? Your mom or your dad? Our DNA, which comes from our parents, shapes our physical features. The same can be said of our spiritual DNA. When we become a Christian, a child of God, we are shaped by our heavenly Father and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The apostle John says that if we are truly born of God, His characteristics will be evident in our life.

God has many characteristics. He is sovereign, merciful, just, and holy. But in his letter, John focuses on one: God is love. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). When we know God, others will notice His love in us. We will not just know about God intellectually, but we will see His living power in our lives.

As John says, one of the key ways people know you are a Christian, is because they see God’s love in the way you speak and act. “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (v. 12). Some people view Christians as angry, judgmental, vicious, intolerant, but the true love of God is the opposite.

The culture of the kingdom of God should be saturated with the power of His love. When someone walks into our home or our church, they should experience love like they’ve never felt before. God’s love in us should always be evident, even as we speak truth. Are you looking more and more like your heavenly Father? The highest compliment we can ever receive is if someone says we look a lot like Jesus.

BY Dr. Mark Jobe, President

Dr. Mark Jobe is the president of Moody Bible Institute. He has served as the lead pastor of New Life Community Church, one church that meets at 27 locations. Mark earned a diploma from Moody Bible Institute in 1984, a master’s degree from Moody Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in transformational leadership from Bakke Graduate University. He is the author of What Now?: How to Move into Your Next Season (Moody Publishers) and can be heard on Bold Steps, a daily program on Moody Radio. He and his wife, Dee, have three adult children and one grandchild.