Going where you are looking?

Moving around North America is an educational experience. One thing I noted is that my children picked up the characteristics of their friends, particularly their speech patterns. One of them had a friend from Boston and was soon talking as if he were from Boston. Another had friends in California and gained an accent that stuck with her for months after we left that state. Perhaps this is the reason I’m drawn to the thoughts in this passage . . .

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:17–18)

The second part essentially says the same thing about emulating our friends, only this verse says that when I am gazing at the glory of God, He transforms me to be like Him. However, there is a caveat; the process requires an ‘unveiled face’ which is explained in the context of these verses.

They explain how Moses spent time with God and his face shone. However, that shine eventually faded and he covered his face so the people would not see it or the fading. The passage says their hearts were hardened because they were stuck in the ideas of the old covenant based on keeping the Law of God. Only when a person turns to Christ is that veil removed.

This means that looking at Christ has transforming power only if I am not trying to earn the favor of God by my rule-keeping or good deeds or anything else. The change occurs by gazing at His glory, not mixing it with my own efforts.

The first part of those verses offer encouragement. This process happens because of the Holy Spirit. That is, in His presence I am free to be who I am, loved by God and not anxious. I know He loves me. I am accepted in Christ and safe in His care. This is freedom, freedom from the bondage of ‘sin and die’ and the bondage of continually trying to keep a law that I cannot keep.

The changes in my children’s speech patterns eventually faded away, but the changes that God makes in a life that is fixed on Him do not fade. Rather, they increase until the day they are complete.

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2–3)

^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, because of this promise, I know that one day the task will be finished — I will be like You. I’m aware that I’ve a long way to go, but You are gracious and patient. You will finish the task and that will be glory for me!

To Live is Christ — changed by how I eat

At least one behavioral food expert believes that the way we eat and our instinctive food habits reveal our character traits and our true nature.

For instance, slow eaters supposedly value routine and are stubborn. They savor their food like they savor every experience. These people put themselves first, and their own needs before the needs of others. In contrast, fast eaters reveal a lack of balance. They put other things before themselves, are productive and do well at finishing projects.

Another food habit is mixing it on the plate. People who do this supposedly also can deal with many responsibilities efficiently, but could struggle with priorities and concentrating on a particular task. On the other hand, those who eat one food at a time are task-oriented, methodical, and less flexible.

All this is news to me. However, I have heard about a connection between eating habits and job skills. Those who do the hiring should take a prospect for lunch and observe how they eat. For instance, cutting meat all at once reveals that a person is methodical, strategic, and forward thinking. This person will fit in a job that requires logical thinking and precision, such as engineering, accounting, or computer technology. (This actually fits my husband.) This researcher says that people who are excited about trying out different types of food do well in creative positions because they're willing to explore new things and are apt to come up with fresh ideas.

In a different vein, those who ask questions about the menu reveal that they have an open-mind. Those who season their foods without first tasting them or don't bother looking at the menu before ordering are stubborn and do not like change.

I wonder what this food expert would say to these words spoken by Jesus. How would she characterize those who feast as He describes? 

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. (John 6:51)

Jesus says one thing is certain — those who partake in Him will live forever. This is true because His life becomes their life. I am alive forever because the eternal life of Jesus Christ is in me. Because of that, my destiny is changed.  But what about my personality?

The Bible says a great deal about the new life I have in Christ and this new life is all about change, right from the get-go. That means that “feasting on Jesus” does something to who I am. The Bible is clear about this too.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

From that beginning, I’m told to put off the old, put on the new. In other words, I’ve been made new and now I need to spend the rest of my life learning how to act like the new person He has created.

God helps me with that. Romans 8:28-29 says, “And we know that God works all things together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. . . .” 

The issue is, I cannot possibly know what being like Jesus looks like unless I keep my focus on Him, the One into whose image is my destiny. Hebrews 12:2-3 says I am to fix my eyes on Him. 2 Corinthians 3:18 tells me that the more I gaze at His glory, the more I am transformed into His image.

The food/personality expert says that my nature is revealed by the way I eat. Jesus says the opposite, that when He is on the menu, even just by looking at Him, my nature is transformed into something new. How cool is that!

Up close and personal

When my husband bought me a two-sided mirror that had a magnifier, our granddaughter (mid-twenties) said, “Isn’t that a bit extreme?” meaning who would want to see their own face that close? My answer satisfied her. I said it would help me avoid granny-makeup.

I am thinking of that intimate close-up mirror this morning while reading this verse. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

This verse is about getting close enough to Jesus that I can see His glory. That means intimate times with Him in prayer, reading about Him from His Word, talking about Him, just hanging around in His presence and looking for Him in other Christians. It means keeping Him in my thoughts as I go through my day.

As I’ve written before, the more time someone spends with another, the more they take on that other person’s characteristics. With Jesus, this is more than a natural happenstance. God is involved because it is His goal that I am transformed into the image of His Son. Romans 8:28 says that He uses all things for my good because, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. . . .” (Romans 8:29)

This is my destiny, but it is also a process and takes a lifetime. Some days I think I’m so far from that goal and wonder if it will ever happen, but then am encouraged that 1 John 3:2-3 makes it clear. It will happen, and I do have a part in the process:

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Cooperation. When He reveals sin, I’m to confess it and rely on Him to cleanse it. When I’m faced with temptation, I must resist it, run from it, not give into it. When He asks me to do or say something, I must obey.

Growth in Christlikeness is similar to growing a plant. It happens by itself in that the gardener does not produce the shoots or leaves or flowers, yet the gardener must water and feed the plant, giving those things necessary to its growth.

For me, the necessary thing is focusing on the glory of the Lord. When I get caught up with the affairs of this life, or spend too much energy on temporary things, I lose focus. If I insist on my own way, I cannot see His glory. He gives me all I need, yet I must participate in what He gives and use it as He tells me.

It helps to remember that life here is oh so temporary and oh so short. My eternal hope is being like Jesus, even having a body like His, and being finally rid of my sin, something that was laid on Him at the cross, but that by Himself He never had. An eternal perspective helps me to focus on Jesus and His glory too.

For my citizenship is in heaven, from which I also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform my lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)

Today is my birthday. Instead of feeling older, I am excited that this is just one more milestone in my journey. One day, perhaps soon, I will be utterly changed from what I am to the likeness of Jesus Christ, and as the old hymn says, that day will be glory for me too.

Feasting my Eyes

Sometimes the truth of Scripture is so precious that I scarcely know how to respond, what to say, how to express the wonder of what He says. God’s plan and the way He works is utterly amazing.

For instance, He made us to be impressionable. My children, after spending time in one of the southern states, picked up the soft drawl of their friends. When I am with a certain friend for any length of time, I pick up her way of speaking in clipped sentences. Of course this does not last, unless we go back for another visit.

It’s not just speaking. My grandmother was a gentle woman. Just thinking about her affects the way I treat others. The Bible warns us to watch who we spend our time with for God knows that the attitudes and actions of evil people can rub off on us too. Yet if I choose my friends wisely, I will begin to mirror some of their good qualities.

Today’s verse is one of my life verses and has become very important to me. It says that if I spend time with Jesus, I will become like Him. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Today is a “retreat” day for me. I’m leaving the house to spend time with Jesus. I want to gaze into His glory and allow Him to speak to me and change me in some way. This verse is instructive in how to spend a special time, a retreat, with Jesus.

Unveiled face refers to an unobstructed view. Sin and selfishness ruin my ability to see Him, so first I need to confess my sins and make sure nothing stands between me and Him. He promised in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” I want to see Him, so my heart needs to be unmixed, pure.

Also, beholding in a mirror isn’t so much about seeing a reflection as getting up close and personal. My bathroom mirror has one side that magnifies, helping me avoid what I call “granny makeup.” The reference to a mirror here is about getting close enough that the glory of the Lord is magnified in my heart and mind. A few minutes of Bible reading and prayer do not do that. I need to spend extra time with Him, drawing near and looking intently and what the Bible reveals about my Lord and Savior. This may mean concentration, even skipping lunch.

The glory of the Lord is about the manifestation of who He is and what He does. This isn’t about dreams and visions (although God can reveal His glory that way), but about looking at the revelation given in His Word and studying it. It is not about a quick skim through the words, but meditating and thinking deeply about what they say. It is also listening for the Holy Spirit who will tell me wonderful things — if I slow down long enough to listen and to let His revelations penetrate my heart. Again, I must focus and concentrate — and go some place where there are limited distractions.

The results of being with Jesus are staggering. I don’t know how it happens, but just like my friends can influence the way I talk and act, the Lord Jesus Christ can change my life and transform the way I speak and live. He can make me more like himself. My part in this is simply to gaze into His glory.

Gazing into His face

In his fascinating book, Scattered Minds, Gabor Maté tells of experiments that show how important eye contact with their mother is to the developing brains of small children. He says that when mom and babe are gazing at each other, the baby becomes very excited and at times must look away. After a moment of relief from this overjoyed state during such intense eye contact, the baby then can look back into mother’s eyes.

This is a common phenomenon that is easily observed. However, there is more to it. In this situation, if the mother looks away first, the baby becomes troubled and enters a state of distress. Maté goes on to illustrate that when this attachment to mother is constantly hindered, the baby’s right frontal brain lobe does not develop as it should. The result is attention deficit disorders or ADD. He adds that those who experience brain injuries in that same lobe will exhibit symptoms like those of ADD.

I’ve written about this before, but today while reading the Psalms, I noticed again some verses that mention eye-contact. One in particular seems to connect the missing of this attachment on that mother-baby level to experiencing it with God.

In Psalm 27:10, David says, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.”

I used to think this verse applied to abused or abandoned children and often showed it to those in such situations. I’d not applied it to myself because my parents had not ever forsaken their care and support for me. However, after reading Maté’s book and seeing myself described on almost every page, I also realized that I could not remember ever experiencing eye contact with my mother. I’m not sure why. Perhaps she had problems unknown to me, or had ADD herself. I’ve no resentment about it. Mom loved me and sacrificed herself for me, but for some reason, this connection was missing.

Before verse 10, the psalmist says to God, “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; You have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.”

The psalmist knew the value of intimate connection to God. Again in Psalm 143:7 he says, “Answer me speedily, O Lord; my spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like those who go down into the pit.” Perhaps he also missed this connection with his parents and therefore wrote Psalm 27:10 for those of us who feel that same sense of loss.

Yesterday, a dear friend talked about missing this in her own life. She described it as that mothering she didn’t have, that face-to-face link that eludes us. I mentioned verse 10, yet as my friend says, we want that connection to “have skin on,” to be from someone visible.

Later I thought how each promise God makes can take time to realize or experience, so much so that His solution can seem incomplete, ethereal, not concrete enough in this world that we experience with our five senses. Yet as I read Psalm 27, this promise of verse 10 stands.

Today, on this last day of 2007 as I’m prone to reflect on all that has happened in the past 365 days, I am deeply aware that God has made this a reality for me. Somehow, in the last few months, He has made looking into His face enough. That empty space is filled and I am so grateful that I can hardly express it.

Certainly He allows me to look away, for like a babe, I cannot bear the delight of that continual gaze. However, if I look away to sin, like the psalmist I find that He hides His face, at least for a moment, and I am deeply troubled. Yet like the psalmist also, when I seek His face He hears and responds to my cries.

In great mercy, God has clarified to me, finally, that His face is enough. Jesus—God with skin on—is sufficient. My inner ache is gone and I simply praise Him for His grace and goodness in giving me this as a grand finale for another year in His care.