We Become What We Admire!
We become what we admire!
I don’t know the moment when I decided this, but it was a shaping event that changed me.
You see, I grew up when the moon-landing was “in the air”. Space sciences were taking off, and Star Trek was on TV… My dad had grown up on the farm, and loved horses, growing things, and open air. I grew up during the Cold War, with the space race on the front burner of everyone’s imagination. Dad liked watching Bonanza (because he always wanted to be a sheriff) and I liked watching Star Trek, because I wanted to be an astronaut!
Dad usually won, when it came to who got to watch whatever on TV. But when he was awary or working, I would tune the TV into Star Trek. Somehow it “spoke” to me.
Star Trek—it was a combo of a western, a social commentary, new technology, the advance of Science, and a redirect on the American vision of the western frontier, moved to space, an adventure into the stars above—“where no one has gone before!”
I liked Mr. Spock. Why? Well, he kinda’ looked like the people around him, but he never quite fit in. That was a major part of that program. Did he or did he not actually belong…
And that was how I felt growing up.
You see, my parents spoke with an Eastern European accent, liked Ukrainian music (with Banduras, ethnic circle dancers and accordions), and danced the polka at 3 day long weddings. My friends at school were from English, Scottish or Irish stock. They spoke with perfect English diction and when there was a death they would play Amazing Grace on a bagpipe! There were two old United Empire Loyalist families on my block alone—Secords descended from Laura Secord, in a direct line of succession, with a personal connection to the British and the war of 1812. The closest subdivision in my town was “Secord Woods.”
W.hite A.nglo S.axon P.rotestant (WASP) to the core.
Now I looked like them, but didn’t quite fit in.
And so did Mr. Spock.
I admired the character, and the funny way he raised his eyebrow any time he had a question or a wonderment. He was smart, strong, principled, and an understated hero whenever the ship, or a crew member was in trouble. He looked like them, but wasn’t like them, and spent his days trying to mingle with those who were “other.” In the end, Spock accepted himself, just as he was.
I wanted to be like him. So, when I was perhaps 10 or 11, I sat in front of a mirror, placed my fingers on my eyebrow to make it go up the way that his did, and kept at it until I could do it automatically. Then I practiced doing that for months, until it became second nature.
Now, I can’t help it! Anytime I have a question, my eyebrow goes up—because I made a conscious decision to become who I admired.
This is a Bible principle. We are to fix our gaze on the nature of the God we love, and as we do, we become who we admire. In fact, 1 John says it bluntly.
Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope purifies himself just as He is pure.
1 John 3:2-3 NASB
Fix your eye of faith on Jesus of Nazareth, and you will discover in time that your behaviors shift and change, until they become just like His. It will become second nature to you.
So, spend time admiring who He is! Gaze on His salvation, reflect on His purposes, fill your mind with His gospel, fill your heart with a yearning to know Him—and as you do, your life will shift toward who He is!
© David Chotka 2020
