I can’t remember where I first heard the phrase “we become what we behold.” I’m also pretty sure wherever and whenever I heard it that I didn’t understand it. I’m of course much wiser now and I can tell you that the ‘obvious’ premise of that statement is that whatever we put before us as our priority will influence who we are and what we do.

What we put first will form us.

Too often we under play the influence the things that we behold can have on us. We think we are independent strong human beings, able to intercept influences on our lives, and steer a unique course. We believe we are the masters of our own destiny, the captains of our ship.

However, no matter how strong, unique, and independent we are the fact that is we were built to worship. We were built to reflect something. That means that we will always become what we behold.

As I was reading in the Bible today I came across a cultural moment which was dealing with this very thing. This was during the reign of a king called Hoshea in Israel. Hoshea didn’t do a good job at honouring the Lord and the people lost their way. The passage tells us in great detail all that they had done wrong. The second half of verse 15 was what caught my attention and reminded me of the phrase I’d heard from my younger days. The writer says this of the people;

…..They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless….2 Kings 17:15b

That’s a pretty brutal assessment. They became what they beheld. This led to a spiral of behaviour. The writer goes on;

…….They imitated the nations around them although the LORD had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”They forsook all the commands of the LORD their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger. 2 Kings 17:15b–17

This passage serves as a warning to us when it comes to where we fix our attention. It’s a reminder to look carefully at what is coming first in our lives and understanding the consequences of our worship. If we were to truly study the things we worship and were to weigh up their characteristics, would we decide that we really want to look like that?

There’s a reason that God asked us to put Him first. His desire is that we would become all that He has created us to be; healed, free, whole, and loved. I don’t know a person alive that wouldn’t want to look like that. The only way we achieve that is putting Jesus first, the only way without sin, the only one that can lead us into life in its fullest.