Beholding

“But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image”  2 Corinthians 3:18

Beholding – “Mirror, mirror, on the wall; who is the fairest of them all?”  This is not the mirror from Snow White!  This is the mirror of God.  Looking into God’s mirror demands another question.  “Mirror, mirror on the wall; who is the servant of them all?”  The change from ego-exalting to ego-serving only occurs when we are looking at God’s image in the mirror.

This really is a magic mirror.  The longer we look at it, the more it transforms us.  This is not a passive mirror.  It does not reflect our own image.  It reflects the image of the Lord and just looking at that reflection does amazing things for us.  We start to look more and more like the image in the mirror.

The word that Paul uses actually covers this entire phrase.  The single word katoptrizomenoi means, “becoming aware of by mirror reflection.”  All of that is intended to focus us on one thing – the Lord’s glory.

You have probably heard this verse so many times that you think to yourself, “Oh, yes.  I knew all that.”  But ask yourself this question:  what is the glory being reflected?  Don’t skip over the answer.  Stop and write down one thought about the Lord’s glory.  Did you include being a servant?  Did you write down humility?  Gentleness?  Being a peacemaker?  What about desperation for God’s grace?  What about willingness to be driven out for the sake of His truth?  Whatever you saw in the mirror today, make it the single aim of your actions for the next twenty-four hours.  Remember that the mirror can only change you if you are looking.

Today I saw this in His glory: _____________________________________________  This is what I will reflect in my face today.