2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV): And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Each person will ultimately be transformed into that which holds first place in their heart and mind. We can see it all the time in our kids and teenagers. When some famous person catches their eye (and then starts to take over their thought life, and eventually their heart), they start to want to dress like them; they start to talk like them; sing their songs incessantly (if they are a singer), trying to sound just like them; practice their sports moves (if they are a sports star), so that they can play just like them. The transformation can be sweeping, touching every area of a person’s life – attitudes, actions, language, and even thought patterns.
Those, however, who keep their focus on Jesus and on God, with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength, will be transformed by the very same process, aided by the power of the Holy Spirit, into the very image of Jesus. When the whole mind is focused on God and on Jesus, reading, studying and meditating on the words of Scripture, that person’s way of thinking begins to reflect the very mind of God. When the whole soul and spirit is focused on God and on Jesus, spending time in prayer and focused on God’s presence, that person’s will and emotions take on God’s priorities, and they begin to passionately love what God loves, to hate what He hates, and to want to do what God wants done. When their physical bodies are focused on God and on Jesus, committed to actively doing what He has called them to do, being actively involved in the work of the kingdom, their actions will become an accurate reflection of God’s own heart.
This simple principle, that a person will quickly become like the thing that has captured our hearts and minds, is woven into the very fabric of the universe. Whether your focus is on an idol made of wood or stone (cf. Psalm 135:15-18), on another human being, or on God, we will become like that which we focus on. Today there are many people who want to live lives that are holy and Christlike, but they put the majority of their attention on things that will shape them in an entirely different direction. The modern focus on celebrities, television shows, movies, romance novels, pornography, and tabloids causes people to become molded into the ungodly people featured in those things. The only way to become more Christlike is to focus our whole beings on God and on Jesus, so that, with the molding, shaping, and purifying influence of the Holy Spirit, the very soul of the person is reshaped into God’s image and likeness, and we begin to reflect HIS glory to a sin-darkened world.
Father, it makes sense that we will become just like whatever we allow to capture our hearts and minds. Help us, Lord, to turn our backs on the things of this world that are so enticing to us, but which will only succeed in casting us into the broken mold of worldly things. Help us instead to focus all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength on You, so that Your Spirit can remake us and remold us into Your image. Amen.