You can't do it.

No matter how hard you try, you cannot become more like Jesus.

It's true.

It is only the Spirit that can transform us to be more like Jesus. It's his job, not ours. 

This may sound familiar, but I don't think I've really let it sink in. Most of the time I process it something like this, "Ok, through the Spirit I can become Christ-like... Well, I have to try to ACT more like Jesus. I have to try to ACT more like I think he did. I have to TRY to be nicer, love people more, think less about myself, be encouraging to others, care for the poor more... even if inside it's really hard and I feel like I'm faking it."

But it never really seems to work, and old sinful habits seem to remain alive and well, popping up when I least expect, and making me wonder why I'm so bad at following Jesus.

In Romans 8 Paul tells us that it is only through the Spirit that we can put our old sinful nature to death... meaning, we, through trying, will never be able to do it. If we could, the cross was pointless and the Holy Spirit nothing more than a glorified Jimminy Cricket.

Trying to be more like Jesus, even stopping and asking "WWJD" will not produce true inner transformation that leads to true Christ-likeness. It will possibly change some outward behavior, maybe even make us a little more patient and loving, but it will be a far cry from the life available to us in the Spirit, true Christ-likeness. 

What we need to do is open to the Spirit. Ask the Spirit to open our hearts, minds, ears and eyes to where/how he is moving. There are things we can do to help put us in a posture to be more open to this transformation, but nothing we do will really change us at all, it will be God that changes us.

So, if you feel burnt out, discouraged, disillusioned, defeated, deppressed, doubtful, or just plain tired, then pause, find a quiet place, and ask God to help you open to his Spirit and the transforming work he wants to continue. Ask God to show you where he has already been working, and see all of the changes that have come from that.

Be careful not to think that you have accomplished it, be happy about it, but humbly thank God for the work he is doing. Confess that you have tried to do things on your own, and then ask him to help you willingly open to Him.

There is hope, it's more mysterious than we might want it to be, it may look different than we want it to look, it might be harder to explain, but it will be true, it will be good, and we may actually find that it is easier (though in a different way) than expected. This is taking the yoke of Jesus, letting him lead and do the work. It is easy, and light, and will lead us into true humility, love, and joy in Christ.

Peace.