"The soul that thus beholdeth (Christ within), it maketh it like to Him that is beheld, and oneth it in rest and peace by His grace."
Julian of Norwich (Ch. 68)
We come to rest and peace, see transformation to more and more likeness to Christ, not by working hard to keep rules and law, but simply by beholding Him within us. To see Christ within us, sitting at rest, one with us, rejoicing over us, fine with us, loving us, assuring us that He is here to stay, just seeing how loving and good He really is and that He is all of that in and towards us, we find ourselves coming to rest and peace. The old fears of being inadequate or needing to try harder to please God fade away, for we know ourselves as He knows us, complete and pleasing, accepted and loved. We find a wholeness within us, for the strife that was in us fades away as we find Christ is not striving or struggling with us, Christ is not angry or against us, but is instead happy with us, satisfied with us, at peace with us, and peacefully watching over our lives. Without even trying or doing anything, we reflect the One we are gazing at, and just like a mirror, we express Christ to everyone. The old way of trying by our own effort to improve did not work. Living by law only brings failure and condemnation and tends to make one feel far from God and inferior. But the new way of union friendship with Christ within is so wonderful and freeing, for it is a way of rest, not self-effort, a way of freedom, not pressure to perform. It is a way of completeness, for the good person we are trying to be we find we already are. We are full of Christ, and therefore full of all that He is, and therefore good and perfect, whole and pleasing. As we gaze at Christ and experience His great love, acceptance, grace and joy towards us, we naturally reflect that out to the world. Loved people love people, and grace people grace people. We are transfigured like Jesus was on the mountain, glowing with the glory of God that shines from within us. For we are the glory of God on earth, and the Holy Spirit is bringing out that glory, the glory of love and kindness, grace and peace, bringing it out so naturally, without our effort! We can simply sit at Christ's feet like Mary and behold Him, rest in Him, hear His loving words to us. Our faces are shining with the brightness of Christ without our even knowing it. And the brightness keeps growing and growing, all by grace. God's Spirit has come forth from our inner spirit out into our outer conscious life, filling every part of our lives with marvelous love. We are coming into our own as children of God, shining the glory of the presence of God everywhere we go!
"They turn to face God...there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. 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."
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (MSG)
A Prayer: Looking at You inside of me, I know that all is well!