Here's a bottom line for walking in life as Jesus did
I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgement is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
John 5.30
Jesus' words and actions not only speak to us about he lived in the world - they also show us how we should live in the world. John explained this in his letter: By this we may be sure we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.(1 Jn 12,6).
If Jesus said (Jn 5.30) that he could do nothing on his own (and the context shows that he was speaking about working in harmony with and dependency on his Father) - then to live like Jesus in the world means that we can't 'go it alone'. We need to lean on God for everything. Nothing is accomplished by going ahead in our own wits and strength.
Jesus learned obedience (according to Hebrews 5.8) and in Luke 3 we read, just after the account of him as a 12 year old discussing the Law with the elders - that Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man (verse 52). From this we learn that Jesus the man accumulated his knowledge of the Scriptures and applied in it increasingly wise ways. This reminds us that the Son of God limited himself when he lived through a human life in the world. Philippians 2.6 confirms this: though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Therefore, Jesus said (Jn 5.30) that he made his judgements (about his own life and the lives of others) only after hearing what God says about those. He wasn't living like a man who decides for himself what seems good. He paid attention to his Father's word so as to make every decision and judgement line up with his Father's will.
Christians walk as Jesus walked - so we we must make all our judgements and decisions NOT based on our own preferences but by first hearing (and learning) what God's Word has to say.
Jesus was confident that his decisions and judgements were right and true because he wasn't following what pleased himself, but what pleased God the Father who sent him.
In summary, the bottom line for walking as Jesus walked:
- Live each day and in every situation fully aware that without God with us we are achieving nothing - tell him you can't go it alone and you don't want to!
- Make decisions and judgements based on what God's Word teaches us - and therefore we are taking steps to grow in our knowledge of God by studying the Bible.
- Seek to please God not ourselves, so our decisions are not biased to suit our personal whims - but are just, true and fair.
