Not How, But Who!
"Set your gaze above—where Christ is seated—and discover that your life is already there."
The heart of this devotional isn’t a call to try harder to be transformed—it’s an invitation to fall deeper in love. J.B. Stoney reminds us that transformation doesn’t come from figuring out the “how” of change, but from gazing on the “Who” of our affection—Jesus Christ.
Once captivated by Christ, the believer no longer obsesses over self-improvement. Instead, there’s a holy obsession with knowing Him more. The soul, finally at rest in His love, stops asking, “How can I change?” and begins to simply dwell where He is, drawn upward toward the One who already made it so.
Stoney reflects on this wondrous reality: Christ loved us when we were most unattractive, but He didn’t leave us there. He has made us suitable to Himself and has permanently united us with His own life. This security liberates the believer’s heart to behold Him, not to strive for transformation but to enjoy His presence—and in so doing, we are transformed.
It’s not about grasping the mechanics of change—it’s about being engrossed in the Person who is our change. The process fades from view. We don’t even notice when old affections fall away. The gaze has shifted. We are in Him—and with Him where He is. This is our true home.
A Personalized Journal Entry in the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You are risen with Christ, and your life is hidden with Him in God. You belong to the realms above, not below. Set your mind there. Let your affections rise where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. For you died, and now your real life—your truest identity—is wrapped up in Me, and I in you.
You do not need to dissect the mechanics of growth. Beholding My glory transforms you without calculation. Just as Moses' face shone when he came down from the mountain, so too your soul begins to reflect what you behold. And what you now behold is not rules or rituals, but Me—the Living One.
When Christ, who is your life, appears in your awareness, My peace rules your heart. My Word dwells richly in you, not to demand performance but to awaken praise. As you abide in Me, you are conformed to My likeness—not by striving, but by seeing.
You are no longer tethered to the futility of earthly identity. You are chosen, holy, and dearly loved. Let your heart rest in this truth: the One who began this work in you is the One who completes it. So look to Me. Be drawn to Me. I am not a distant object of study but your nearest reality. I am the life you now live.
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(Colossians 3:1–4, 15–17; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 1:6)
My Prayer
Lord, I no longer need to dissect the “how” of transformation when You Yourself are the “Who” who lives in me. I trust that being with You, setting my heart where You are seated, is the very environment in which Your life takes shape in me. What a relief to know that change doesn’t come by strategy, but by sight—and I have eyes for You.
Thank You for loving me when I was most undeserving, and for making me suitable for union with You. I rest in that union today. I delight in being Yours. And I rejoice that I don’t have to measure my growth—I only need to keep my gaze on You.
Devotional Credit: Abide Above – April 12, “Not How, But Who!” by J.B. Stoney
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