- photo by Susan Page“Give up the struggle and the fight; relax in the omnipotence of the Lord Jesus; look up into His lovely face and as you behold Him, He will transform you into His likeness. You do the beholding--He does the transforming. There is no short-cut to holiness.” - Alan Redpath
The topic of transformation is … quite frankly, transforming! Consider the renewal we see all around us. The tadpole changes into a frog. The caterpillar metamorphizes into a beautiful butterfly and the downpour of a fresh spring rain brings renewal. Transformation is displayed in God’s very own handiwork.
Cambridge Dictionary defines transformation as “a complete change in the appearance or character of something or someone, especially so that thing or person is improved.”
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Daily renewal in Christ changes our attitudes and revolutionizes our behaviour. As in nature, by faith, we become new creations in Christ Jesus and it’s a work of beauty! New and improved, we are the salt and light that flavours and brightens our world!
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5: 13-16).
Sometimes, this newness quickly fades or becomes bland when our focus on Christ shifts or grows dim. This is reflected in our thoughts, deeds, and attitudes.
We may become weary of doing good when we operate out of our strength, for our glory. We can become impatient, intolerant, and perhaps even brittle or bitter if we are focused on our selfish wants or desires.
The truth is that whatever we behold is what we become. If our focus shifts from the eternal and we allow the enemy to take a foothold, then we become less than God calls us to be. We reflect Christ when we behold Him by sitting at His feet, leaning in and learning to be more like Him.
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3: 1-4).
Ruth Chou Simons in her book Beholding and Becoming says “It’s supernatural to be transformed and changed in heart so that we are able to love God though we have not seen Him… to trust Jesus though we’ve never touched Him. When God spoke to Israel through the prophet Ezekiel, He described the heart change that only God can do.”
“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
May God continue transforming our lives as we become what we behold for His glory!
Susan Page is the daughter of the King, His beloved child, wonderfully forgiven and blessed! Susan longs to age gracefully, becoming more like Jesus as she seeks the hidden treasures revealed to her through Scripture, literature, the arts, humankind, and nature.