Brighter and More Beautiful

What does it mean to become more like Christ? What does it mean to be transfigured into the new creatures God wants us to become?

In 2 Corinthians 3:18, in The Message, it says,

"And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like Him."

Brighter and more beautiful. That’s what it means to become more like Christ, more like God. As Jesus was transfigured into something more than human, so ought we be transformed into more than our current state. I know that this is not an overnight process. It takes time – possibly lots of time, but I like the idea that as God enters our lives and we get to know Him better a little bit at a time, we become more like Him. Thus we also become brighter and more beautiful a little bit at a time.

When I think about becoming more beautiful as I age, and become possibly less physically attractive, I realize that the beauty talked about in this verse is not skin deep. It’s much deeper than that. It’s soul deep. It’s about becoming a more beautiful human being a little at a time. It’s about changing the way I interact with the world and with other people. It’s about changing my demeanor toward others and toward the issues I confront in my life.

I can remain unchanged, but then I would have to question whether I’m having regular encounters with God. 2 Corinthians 3:18 guarantees change in our lives as more of God enters into our lives. So, if I’m not changing, if I’m not becoming brighter and more beautiful, then I need to determine if more of God is entering into my life on a regular basis. I can make sure this is happening by doing a few relatively simple things.

I can read God’s Word, the Bible, daily. I can try to make an application from what I read. Applying the instructions of God to my life is what makes change possible. It might be something as simple as saying a prayer or it might be something as difficult as asking for forgiveness from someone I have offended. Either way, doing something different makes me a brighter person and helps me grow more beautiful a little bit at a time. That’s what I want. To be transformed a little bit at a time into someone who looks more like God, ever increasingly brighter and more beautiful, as God enters my life and I become more like Him.