Beholding Glory

What is before my eyes determines what is in my heart. I do not mean just my physical eyes, but my spiritual eyes as well. I was reading through old journal entries this morning to remind myself of what God has been doing the past few months. In doing so, I came across an entry from April where I was feeling very defeated and tired. In response to my cries, I felt God asking me where my eyes were, if they were on Him or the gap where I saw my lack. He whispered to my weary heart that I needed to learn to live in love and not in facts. Now please hear me, I'm not saying we should ignore the facts before us. But it was a question of where I landed, was I going to stop with what was before me or press in to the deeper truth behind.

Since moving to L.A. a verse I have taken much encouragement from is 2 Corinthians 3:18 which says:

"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."

Previously, this verse spoke to me about how we are already glorious because of what Christ has done for us and in us and how we are growing in that glory. This morning though, as I re-read this entry, God brought this verse to my mind and highlighted "beholding the glory of the Lord." I am transformed into the same image as what I am beholding. If all I place before me are discouraging facts or seeing things as they are, my heart lives in only what is possible and it is so easy to get discouraged not only with my situations but with myself as well. If I am only seeing facts about myself, I miss the potential and future God has for me and it is so easy to feel defeated.

When God told me to live in love and not facts, He wasn't saying to ignore the facts. But to take that step of faith past them, into the place of love and identity. Facts are just facts, but what am I choosing to do with them? Do I take them to Jesus, and behold them in the light of His love and glory? Love sees not just what is now, but what is possible. When a parent holds their new child, they don't just see the wrinkled little face and diapers, but are filled with excitement at who this child will be and their love enables them to dream. This morning, I felt God speaking the same thing over my city. If I look at L.A. through the lens of beauty, through "beholding the glory of the Lord" I am filled with excitement and dreams. If I stop short at just the facts though, it is so easy to grow discouraged and tired. He is so good! I pray for you all that God would make this truth real in your lives, that any places of discouragement, He would lift your eyes to His and through beholding Him our lives would be continually transformed into His image, in peace, joy, hope, truth, and love.