Behold to Become
READ
What gets our attention directs our formation. If we aren't careful, the media we consume, the conversations we engage in, and the idols we obsess over can lead us to become self-focused, unhealthy, and ungracious to our neighbors.
Whatever captures our minds ultimately shapes our hearts. If we want our hearts to reflect that of our Savior, we must train our focus on Him. If we intentionally fix our gaze on Christ, we will inevitably become more patient, hopeful, compassionate, and generous people.
Let's take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 3:18:
"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
REFLECT
In his second letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul reflects on the privileged status we have as recipients of the New Covenant. Before Christ's victory on the cross, sin separated us from God's perfect presence. Under the Old Covenant, our unrighteousness made us incapable of truly witnessing God without veiling ourselves from His glory (2 Corinthians 3:7, 13).
However, because of Christ's finished work of salvation, we now have unrestrained, unmediated access to God. We are permanently cleansed of all unrighteousness—and this frees us to contemplate the Lord's glory with "unveiled faces"!
It is all too easy to take this amazing privilege for granted. As we navigate life's minefield of distractions and disruptions, we can forget to take advantage of our unlimited access to God.
Instead of seizing every opportunity to enjoy the Lord's presence, we allow our attention to get pulled away by short-term concerns, worldly anxieties, and counterfeit gods. Instead of approaching time with God as the privilege it is, we often treat it as a chore. Instead of regularly contemplating His glory with joy, we relegate time with the Lord to the margins of our lives, treating it as a low priority or an afterthought.
We can come into God's presence exactly as we are—and this is a gift we should receive with gratitude, returning to it regularly and rhythmically. Because if we habitually fix our attention on Christ, we will inevitably find our hearts changed for the better.
Training our attention on Christ requires intentionality, effort, and discipline—especially in a world that constantly vies for our attention. We are inundated with distractions that tempt us to fixate on what is flashy, immediate, and fleeting rather than what is ultimate and eternal.
Yet as difficult as it can be to slow down and meditate on the Lord, He promises that doing so bears a beautiful reward: we will be "transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory." This gift of transformation is indispensable, as it equips us to carry Christ's hope into a world that is desperate for it.
2 Corinthians 3:18 reminds us that it is not more information about Christ that transforms our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors, but sustained attention toward Him. If we are willing to intentionally direct our focus toward Him, we will find ourselves filled with greater joy, hope, peace, and compassion for others.
We ultimately become like that which we behold. If we regularly contemplate Christ, we will find our hearts looking more like His.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
In this season of life, what captures your attention most often? How is your focus guiding your formation?
What is one practical step you can take to train your gaze on Christ this week?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God's presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Lord, in our modern world, it is so easy to get distracted. My heart and mind are so often captured by temporary concerns and idols that cannot satisfy my soul. God, in Your grace, redirect my focus. Help me to fix my gaze on You, so that I might become more like You. Remind me what a privilege it is that I can spend time with You whenever I want, wherever I am, just as I am. Don't let me forget what a gift it is to enjoy You, to turn my thoughts toward You! Let contemplating Your goodness become my greatest joy and my source of strength. Let me regularly and rhythmically come to You, so that I would reflect Your love to the world around me! Amen.
Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today’s devotional.