“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 3:18)
Think of three people in a room. There’s the person you used to be, the person you want to become, and the person you are. Now look in the mirror. Which of the three people is looking back at you?
The Person You Used To Be: Perhaps you see someone better than you, younger, better-looking, with a thinner waist and thicker hair, and bright eyes. Someone with energy and enthusiasm who has his whole life in front of him, a world of possibilities, serving a God of the impossible. He winks at you because he knows he’s better than you.
The Person You Want To Become: Perhaps you see the person that fulfills all his dreams, reaches his goals, is in the prime of his life, full of purpose and important. A vital person in the community with a lot to offer. He smirks at you because he knows you’ll never become him.
Then there is YOU: in the now. Do you like what you see? Are you pleased or disappointed? Are you vain or are you self-loathing? Are you where you thought you’d be by now? Have you lived up to your expectations? Has life treated you well? You just stare, with a hint of disappointment and perhaps resignation….or even despair.
Dwell on that for a moment. Go ahead…..we’ll wait.
Now think of a fourth person. He’s not like any of the other three. He kinda resembles you, but he’s not like you. He’s not thinner, or more handsome, he doesn’t have clearer skin or perfect hair, he’s not more successful or accomplished. By all accounts he looks just like you, but with one major difference — he’s happy. He is content and at peace. He smiles at you with a reassuring smile, with a brightness that comes not from whitening toothpaste (sorry, that’s a dumb joke!) but from deep contentment and joy, the kind that is not found in a multitude of accomplishments, the accumulation of wealth and possessions, nor in the approval of others, no, not even in the approval of himself. His contentment comes from his right standing with God. He is exactly where God wants him to be, and that is why he is so satisfied.
Now look closer. Look deep in his eyes. Do you see? This person kinda looks like…Jesus.
This is the person you are meant to be, the person God is molding and shaping you to become! He is righteous because of the grace of the Cross, and he is becoming more and more righteous all the time as God’s sanctifying power is at work in him. This is the person you have always wanted to be because this is the same person that your Father in Heaven wants you to be. He wants you to look like His Son.
They say you become like the people you hang out with. You hang out with someone long enough, you start to act like them, talk like them, like the same things as them, etc. Why? Because they influence you. Hang out with Jesus, in conversation, in His Word, hang with His buddies (disciples). Over time you will start to resemble Him, and perhaps even begin to see Him in the mirror just a little bit.