“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)
Have you ever stopped and reflected on where you have been, where you have come from, and what God has brought you through? Have you ever soaked it all in and just sat and marveled at His ability to move you beyond your own limitations? From The Confessions of St. Augustine, this soldier of the Faith states, “I will now relate the wickedness of my former life and the carnal corruptions of my soul. I do this not because I love them, but so that I may love You, my God.” In his discourse, St. Augustine is reflecting on his days as a youth. He seemingly takes a moment and pauses to understand that power and the might that moved him from his sinful desires to a more spiritually mature version of himself. In his reflection he sees the old man, the flesh being stripped away, so that He, as God intends for us all, could move from glory to glory.
What a novel thought! Many times when we look back at our lives, we do so with regret. But, what if we were to take a different stance…look through a different lens, would we see a past of hope and not regret? So many times we waste our time focusing on regrets, mistakes, and what should have been instead of admiring the work that the Father has done in and through us. Moving from glory to glory, spiritual maturity, is never about us but about the providence of a loving Father who has ordered our steps. Choose to see the good that God has worked through you today and allow this to push you even deeper into His magnificent presence. The glory has no limits and neither should we.
Our gracious Father, may we never long for this world but instead long to go deeper into the glory!
Bishop Jarod Cruthis