👀 Seeing Beyond the Surface

Like sunlight through a freshly opened window, God invites us to see beyond the surface—to where Christ is shining in one another.

📚 Devotional Credit: Open Windows: Filled Unto All the Fullness of God – Chapter 10 by T. Austin-Sparks
📸 Photo Credit: Unsplash

T. Austin-Sparks invites us to peer through an open window and behold something superior: Jesus Christ in one another. Quoting Paul’s charge in 2 Corinthians 5:16, he brings our attention to a vital shift in perspective—no longer evaluating others by mere human standards but learning to see one another through the Spirit.

This shift doesn’t mean we become blind to personality quirks, frustrating habits, or even deep-rooted weaknesses in others. In fact, the more spiritually attuned we are, the more aware we may become of the flesh—ours and theirs. But instead of letting that awareness drive us apart or lead to judgment, we are called to something greater: to look past the natural and behold the presence of Christ in each believer.

The enemy delights in stirring up division, exaggerating weaknesses, and fostering relational breakdowns among God’s people. But those who walk in the Spirit are given grace to resist this. We do not pretend that the flesh is absent, but we refuse to let it define our view of one another. We look deeper—into the life of Christ within—and respond accordingly.

This posture requires grace, discernment, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. And it calls us to a beautiful kind of fellowship—not based on shared personalities or natural compatibility, but on a shared Savior and the indwelling Spirit who unites us beyond the surface.

📓 Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

Beloved, I have placed My life within you, and I have placed it within your brothers and sisters. I do not ask you to pretend that flaws and failings don’t exist. I invite you to look deeper—into what is true, eternal, and of Me. I see your spirit joined to Mine. I see My fruit beginning to grow where once there was only striving. And I call you to see others the same way.

You are not what the flesh says you are. Neither are they. You are new creations. You are holy ones. You are temples of My Spirit. I am not asking you to overlook sin, but to look through it—to behold the treasure in earthen vessels, the new life in the midst of the old. Do not live in reaction to imperfections. Live in response to My life.

When weakness grates against weakness and frustration flares, pause. Yield. Trust Me to be your patience, your discernment, your grace. Let Me form your gaze until you see not merely what is wrong, but what is rising—what I am shaping in each one of you. I am not finished. Neither are you. See as I see.

Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 5:16–17; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:4–6; Ephesians 4:2–3; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Colossians 1:27; Philippians 2:1–5; Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 4:7

🔍 Real-Life Analogy

It’s like cleaning a mirror that has been smudged with fingerprints and dust. You could focus on every blemish, every flaw in the glass—or you could wipe it clean and see the reflection shining through. Our natural minds notice the smudges in one another first. But when we pause and allow the Holy Spirit to redirect our gaze, we begin to see the reflection of Christ where we once saw only frustration.

So today, when you encounter someone who pushes your buttons or carries traits that wear on you, pause and inwardly yield. Say, “Lord, I trust You to live Your grace through me in this moment. Let me see Your Spirit at work in them and respond to what is eternal, not what is temporary.” In that moment, love flows where frustration once reigned.

🙏 Prayer of Confidence

Father, thank You that I no longer view anyone—myself included—according to the flesh. You have made all things new in Christ. I rejoice that Your Spirit is alive in those around me, even when my natural eyes don’t see it first. Thank You for the grace to look deeper, for the joy of recognizing Jesus in my brothers and sisters. I rest in Your ability to work through me with gentleness, patience, and love that sees what You see. Today I choose to behold Christ in others, just as You behold Christ in me.