And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.   (Luke 9:29)

And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another…   (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Being in my early sixties, I understand why people want to reverse the aging process. Nearly all cultures have sought the “Fountain of Youth.” Often the most outward and visible sign of our aging is our faces. People get face-lifts or other treatments so that they will look “younger” and hopefully feel better about themselves.

Without any judgment upon what anyone does to feel better about their faces, I would like us to consider another way that our faces can be changed. This way doesn’t necessarily change our faces physically and outwardly, but it does change them spiritually and inwardly.

When Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration, His face, clothes, and everything about Him became transformed, transfigured, and dazzling white. Being that close to the presence of God filled Him with light.

In Paul’s words today, he’s saying that when we look at the glory of God, our faces will be changed. Just like God’s presence changed Jesus’ face, so Jesus’ presence can change ours.

There’s a spiritual principle here. We become what we look at. There’s both bad news and good news in this principle. If we look at the darkness, we’re likely to become darker. If we look at the light, we’re likely to become lighter.

Today I encourage us to consider getting a spiritual face-lift by looking for Jesus in scripture, worship, service, in others, and in ourselves.

As we get these glimpses of Jesus, we’ll be changed into His likeness. Our change will not be about having our faces lifted but our souls; it will not come through a Botox injection but through an injection of grace. This spiritual face-lift might not change the lines on our faces, but people—both others and ourselves—may just see a radiance that wasn’t there before.

Reflection Questions:

1. How has what you have looked at and looked for brought a change in you, either for good or for ill?

2. What are the most effective ways that you look for and see the face of Jesus?

3. Here’s one spiritual principle: We are transformed by what we look at. Here’s another: The more we look for Jesus, the more we will see Him. Are you willing to look for traces of His face in every person you look at, including your own?