Ever seen a young couple falling in love? It’s amazing how quickly they can become completely absorbed in each other.  There’s so much fascination with each other that a grubby, unkempt young man may suddenly start wearing cologne and care about his appearance! 

The point is that what fascinates us can transform us.

Are you fascinated with God?

At the heart of Christianity, is a love for God.  But it’s not an affection that simply comes from a command for love. That will only get us so far. Transforming-love springs from our fascination with who God is.  As we get a glimpse of the beauty and majesty of God, we are enamored, just like a young couple in love!

Consider this from Second Corinthians:

“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.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

There is a connection between beholding the glory of God and our transformation to be like him! Another way to say this is that “We become what we behold.”

What are you fascinated with? Whatever gets the most of your attention will also shape you into that kind of person.  The things that we spend our time on are forming us!  This is why we need to make sure that we have our focus on Jesus.

Sadly, the fascination can wear off.  The excitement of discovering a new thing may not last forever.  In marriage, we have to learn how to be faithful, even through the hard times.  We have to learn to rediscover our spouses and continue to be fascinated with them. 

This takes commitment and action.

Quick story. Before we had kids, I started getting interested in backpacking.  I started reading magazines and buying books about backpacking.  I was hooked!  I decided that I would be a backpacker and we started buying gear to go on our first trip.  We went on one trip. Still today, I love reading about backpacking and I get tempted to buy more gear.  But I don’t go backpacking. (!!)

Here’s the point: Being transformed to become more like Jesus takes action.  We get in the game. We don’t just read about life with God or have all the Christian gear.  We step out!  We do the thing! I can’t become a backpacker without actually backpacking!  Just like we can’t experience life with God until we start moving and following him with our lives.

Remember what fascinates you about Jesus and go after him.  Don’t be content to know him through others or from afar.  He invites each of us to know him for ourselves! Get as close as you can and keep your eyes on him!

From Peter's Blog: https://peterbales.substack.com.