Transformed by Beholding

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

WHAT! I behold God and become transformed into His likeness... others behold me, they see God and begin to behold God and are transformed and so on... I better get to beholdin'!

This blew me over today because as I have spent a bit of time looking back over my journal I see that I have been punishing myself for thinking I am not doing right things or not doing all things in the right way and have just felt like I was "missing God". I let seemingly good motives tarnish my mirror. All I have to do is BEHOLD Him (and His glory that is abundant!) and I will be transformed, not the other way around. Not the first I have heard this or understood this but somehow it is different today...

I feel as though I have been playing a game with others and we have all been playing for years and all of the sudden (though not really suddenly) I "get" the rules. They are NOT the rules I was playing by, even though my actions and moves would have looked that way. I may have been still performing good in the game and doing well but I was MISSING "it!" I still feel all that playing was a good thing and now knowing the rules may make it more easily complicated! Mostly because of improperly understood rules of playing the game that must be reprogrammed. Which is not easy.

I am still reeling (there is much more that was crazy to me-go figure) and just had to get some of this "out" and out to you (my millions of readers-or 1). I put the devotion below and as with most things they have a time and you may not be blown away the way I was. As a matter of fact I KNOW I have read this devotion before because I can see pen marks but today was the day for it to hit me. Maybe you will see something else... tell me about it.
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Today's My Utmost For His Highest: January 23 http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php (this link may take you to the current day; so if it not Jan 23-then you will have to go to it) (but the entire thing is printed below)
correct link: http://utmost.org/transformed-by-beholding/

The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person’s life to become a mirror for others. When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors. You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirit senses that he mirrors the Lord’s own character. Beware of anything that would spot or tarnish that mirror in you. It is almost always something good that will stain it— something good, but not what is best.

The most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God. Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God. We must maintain a position of beholding Him, keeping our lives completely spiritual through and through. Let other things come and go as they will; let other people criticize us as they will; but never allow anything to obscure the life that "is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him. This is an easy thing to allow, but we must guard against it. The most difficult lesson of the Christian life is learning how to continue "beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord . . . ."