What We Behold is What We Become

Read: 1 John 3:1-3

Behold!  We hear this word often in the Christmas Story.  “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,” the angels said.

Behold invites us to take an intense look.  We are invited to take a long, intense look at the lavish love that the Father, God, has bestowed on us.  This gift of love, so undeserved!  This love that went so far as to allow His one and only Son to be born in human flesh and walk this dark sinful world!  He is calling us to SEE His love face to face, a love that came to save us and make us part of His family, calling us His own sons and daughters. 

John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name!” 

Yet there is more!! He tells that as His children, we might not always “fit in” to this world.  We may have difficult roads to walk.  We might experience hurt, rejection and betray, just like Jesus did.

But He gives us this hope!  What we behold is what we will become!  Our present standing as His children promises that what we are YET to become has not yet been revealed. 

Just like a caterpillar could never fully understand or comprehend what being a butterfly would look like or feel like, we cannot on this side of eternity fully comprehend what we will become.  When I spend time each day in meditation, prayer and writing in my journal, I want to always keep this picture in mind.  

We will become our truest selves, the one perfected by the sacrifice of Jesus. We will be unhindered in our God given glory, our perfectly design and unspoiled splendor, reflecting the very character of our God and Savior.

Setting our sights on this hope changes everything!  It changes how we live and breathe.  When we set our hopes on our eternal destiny and what we will become, we could never again be content with such small, temporal things like a relationship, or success, our mutual funds, our health, our possessions, or simply on ourselves. 

Today, let us begin to LIVE into our REAL HOPE, the hope of Jesus!

Thank You Father, that You have lavished us with Your love!  Your love has pour down upon us.  You sent Jesus, first as an infant, to rescue us!  You now give us the precious gift of receiving Jesus, and being called Your children.  Lead us to behold Your amazing love in such a way that we set our HOPE on what You have yet destined us to become!  We will become as radiant as Your Son, Jesus!!