We are Changed.

Looking at Jesus changes us. Paul’s famous bit in the second Corinthian letter has a wondrous tingle of gladness in it.  “We all with open face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are changed from glory to glory."[2] The change comes through our looking.  The changing power comes in through the eyes.  It is the glory of the Lord that is seen.  The glorious Jesus looking in through our looking eyes changes us.  It is gradual.  It is ever more, and yet more, till by and by His own image comes out fully in our faces.

We become like those with whom we associate.  A man’s ideals mold him.  Living with Jesus makes us look like Himself.  We are familiar with the work that has been done in restoring old fine paintings.  A painting by one of the rare old master painters is found covered with the dust of decades.  Time has faded out much of the fine coloring and clearly marked outlines.  With great patience and skill it is worked over and over.  And something of the original beauty, coming to view again, fully repays the workman for all his pains.

The original image in which we were made has been badly obscured and faded out.  But if we give our great Master a chance He will restore it through our eyes.  It will take much patience and a skill nothing less than divine.  But the original will surely come out more and more till we shall again be like the original, for we shall see Him as He is.

The old German artist Hoffmann is said to visit at intervals the royal gallery in Dresden, where he lives, to touch up his paintings there.  Even so our Master, living in us, keeps touching us up that the full beauty of His ideal may be brought out.

How often a girl growing up into the fullness of her mature young womanhood calls out the remark, “You are growing more and more like your mother.”  And the similar remark is heard of a young man developing the traits and features of his father.

There is a law of unconscious assimilation.  We become like those with whom we go.  Without being conscious of it we take on the characteristics of those with whom we live.  I remember one time my brother returned home for a visit after a prolonged absence.  As we were walking down the street together he said to me, “You have been going with Denning a good deal”—­a mutual friend of ours.  Surprised, I said, “How do you know I have?” He said, “You walk just like him.”  What my brother had said was strictly true, though he did not know it.  Our friend had a very decided way of walking.  As a matter of fact, we had been walking home from the Young Men’s Christian Association three or four nights every week.  And unconsciously I had grown to imitate his way of walking.

That sentence of Paul’s has also this meaning, “We all with open face reflecting as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are changed.”  We stand between Him and those who don’t know Him.  We are the mirror catching the rays of His face and sending them down to those around.  And not only do those around see the light—­His light—­in us, but we are being changed all the while.  For others’ sake as well as our own the mirror should be kept clean, and well polished so the reflection will be distinct and true.