16-18Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.(The Message)
There are times when a person suddenly realizes that they need to take better care of their bodies. They decide to get healthy and they start eating better and exercising and can't wait until they see the results. The problem with changing to a healthy lifestyle is that it takes time to see the full results and it ends up being a lot of hard work. The reality is that because it takes time and work the majority of people give up before they reach their goals. Just knowing that they would be better off if they did these things doesn't change their bodies or behavior. The knowledge and desire has to be joined by the determination and commitment before anything will ever happen.
It is the same way with growing to become like Jesus. Knowing we need to change and wanting to become more like Jesus are good first steps but actually leaving the old person behind and taking on the new person of Jesus within us takes work. We have to leave old behaviors behind and take on new patterns of looking at our time, finances, and relationships. But the good news is that we can and will be changed the more we live for and with Jesus as our focus.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- What do you think the phrase seeing God face to face meant for Paul personally?
- Paul's life seemed to be radically changed in a moment but we don't know much about the years he spent away from the crowds before he began his ministry. If Paul had immediately started his ministry after the Damascus Road experience how do you think it might have been different?
- How do the things that you do each day make you more/less likely to reflect Jesus to others?
- What changes in your living do you need to make to begin becoming even more like Jesus?
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