When we want to know who we are, we are often told to look within, to “find it” within ourselves. Who am I? Upon self-reflection, we look to our circumstances, our hopes, and our dreams…and when we do, we create a narrative and write our story.
If we are made in the image of God, we will only know the truest form of ourselves if we look into the eyes of our God. In her book Beholding and Becoming, Ruth Chou Simons says that we become what we behold. Behold is defined as: “to perceive through sight or apprehension, to see, to gaze upon, observe.” She challenges us to behold the things that are true of our God because when we do we will become more like Him.
If we want to know who we are becoming, we must identify what we are beholding. We are made in the image of God, but what becomes of what He has made is determined by where we place our affections, belief, trust, and ultimately, our faith. If we keep our gaze on money, we will hold it tightly, confident it will take care of us; if we place our eyes on our health, our trust will ultimately be placed on our physical condition, which at any time could fail. If we set our eyes on our God, beholding more and more of Him, our confidence and security will begin to be placed on what will last. It’s the beginning of building our lives upon the rock.
If everything that we base our lives upon feels unstable, then it is likely that we are beholding something other than God. It may be time we put the pen down, surrender the story we are writing, lift our gaze, and build our lives upon the rock. We begin by beholding our God.
If God is real and we can build our lives upon His truth, then He is powerful enough to prove Himself to be true. If you are wondering, ask, “God, if this is a thing, I would want to know that…would You reveal Yourself to me?” “God, allow me to experience what I would need experience to create faith in You.”
It may seem risky to ask, but if God isn’t a thing, then asking is just nonsense, so there would be nothing to be afraid of…nothing to lose. But if He is real we would want to know that, right?
If we want to know who we are, we will find that in the eyes of our God. He is worth our consideration, and if we are lucky, we will experience something in our lives that will leave us wondering. Don’t miss those moments; don’t let that sand slip through your fingers. Ask God to show you who He is. Behold, admire, spend time considering Him. In His eyes, you will begin to see yourself more clearly, His love, and who He made you to be. When you see Him, when you start to see yourself as His, I believe you are in for the ride of your life.
Beholding and Becoming is a symphony of reflections on who God is and who we can be. It will refine those of us who believe and can be an example to those who don’t yet. It’s an excellent gift for others or yourself. Check it out.
