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Who Do You Behold?

Writer's picture: Elizabeth R BillingsleyElizabeth R Billingsley

Updated: Nov 17, 2024






Hello everyone! Fall is upon us here in Oklahoma. What a beautiful day it is today for pumpkin patches, parks, and getting outside! My home certainly reflects the season we are in and I love the sights, sounds, and smells of the Fall as well!


Today, I want to focus on who we see – who we allow to hold our attention. Who do you

behold? Who has your undivided attention in your life? Who do you gaze upon with adoration (loving regard) and worshipful thoughtfulness? Who are you becoming?


You may be thinking to yourself about now, “what is she talking about?” Excellent question!

The answer is quite simple. You become who you behold in this life and it matters. Allow me to elaborate a bit more. I’ll start with a question for you. If what we behold is what we become, what does that mean for us as human beings?


First, I will start with what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean if you look at your favorite

food you will actually become that favorite food. It doesn’t mean that if you look at a cute

animal, you will actually become that cute animal. It doesn’t mean if you look at a good-

looking man or woman, you will actually become that person. I know this may sound

silly to explain, but in this day and age of conspiracy. magical thinking, and

misinformation; I’d hate for my words to be taken too literally.


However, what you behold with your heart, you do become. Sounds too simple right?

There is a reason we are asked to guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) How does this work

you ask? What you behold with your heart, you are actually worshipping. What we worship, we aspire to become or find favor with. What we aspire to become – we do become. Do you see the progression and the problem this could become based on what or who you are beholding, worshipping, and aspiring to? Let me give you a few examples.


If you behold greed and material things with your heart, you become greedy and consumed with the love of money and material things. If you behold fear and give place to it in your heart, you will be fearful and spread fear and distrust among others. If you behold someone as a personal god (whether they are good or bad), you will aspire to be that person (for good or bad). And what if they fail you, then what? If you behold yourself long enough and worship self, you will be one of the loneliest people in the world. If you behold pain, worshipping it; you will taste the ugliness of bitterness. If you behold and worship your offense, your wound will never heal and those who offended you will hold control over your life long after they have left you. If you behold and worship a lie, you will become whatever or whoever that lie tells you. If you behold people as objects (e.g., the porn industry and yes, I went there), you will use them as objects, defiling them and yourself in return. If you behold a substance as your saving grace, you will use that substance and do anything for it until it kills you or someone else and/or lands you in prison. If you behold political power as the ultimate attainment (and those who model that) you will gain a party, a country, or even the whole world but, in the end, you will lose your soul (Mark 8:36). If you behold death as your god, it will come for you, for it comes for all who drink from its poisonous spring.


Do you see the problem here?


How many people reading this blog have worshipped your pain for far too long? How

many of you are worshipping and beholding someone or something that is killing you

from the inside out? How many of you have beheld fear and death for longer than you

can (or care) to remember? When will enough be enough?


Now for the good news. There is One you can behold. He gives life to all who gaze upon Him.

He heals pain, addiction, shame, and even the worst things you can imagine. His name is Jesus Christ. I have beheld him for quite some time. He has indeed healed and changed me, he is still healing and changing me. I am now fully alive and awake. He has that effect on you.

I want to invite anyone today to turn your gaze upon Him. Behold the One who heals you, instead of destroying you! Behold the One who loves you, instead of using or defiling you!

Behold the One who gives you life, not death!


Behold the King! He loves you! He has always loved you! To behold Him is to behold

your purpose and your reason for being! To behold Him is to behold the ultimate Love! To

behold Him is to behold your freedom!


The traditional hymn written by the early 20th century gospel songwriter, Helen Howarth

Lemmsel (1918) describes it best:


“Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth (and

of pain and shame) will grow strangely dim, in the Light of His glory and grace.”


Behold the King and live!



Love,




Elizabeth

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