“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” — 2 Corinthians 3:17–18
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” — Psalm 139:23–24
It is so exciting to know that the Lord of heaven and earth is also the same God who lives in us through His indwelling Holy Spirit. It’s amazing to think how He is constantly working in our life, actively using every situation in every season to transform us. And into what are we being transformed? Into the very image of Himself.
The Spirit of freedom is at work in our life every day to shape us, mold us, purify us, and in the end transform us into a pure vessel through which the very essence of Christ can shine. This is the true work of the Spirit in our lives, and it is beyond all comprehension.
One degree of glory to another. Not all at once. Not overnight. One degree at a time.
The Leader Who Expected Faster
If you’ve been in leadership for any length of time, you’ve probably had a moment where you looked in the mirror and thought, “Shouldn’t I be further along by now?” You’ve been walking with Jesus for years. You’ve been studying the Word, leading teams, investing in people, navigating hard seasons. And yet the transformation you expected to see in yourself feels painfully incomplete.
That frustration is more common among leaders than most will admit. We live in a culture that celebrates dramatic breakthroughs and overnight turnarounds. We tell the stories of radical conversion and instant deliverance because they’re exciting and easy to package. And those stories are real. But they’re not the only story. For most of us, transformation looks less like a lightning strike and more like a slow sunrise. One degree at a time. So gradual you might not even notice it’s happening.
Paul understood this. That’s why he chose the language he did in 2 Corinthians 3:18. He didn’t say we are instantly transformed. He said we are being transformed. Present tense. Ongoing. From one degree of glory to another. The process isn’t broken just because it’s slow. It’s working exactly the way God designed it.
For leaders who are impatient with their own growth, this is either the most frustrating or the most freeing truth you’ll encounter. Frustrating if you’re still measuring spiritual progress by dramatic milestones. Freeing if you’re willing to trust that every single degree matters, and the God who started the work is faithful to continue it.
The Veil Problem
So why then don’t you shine with His glorious radiance every day? Well, there is this highly unbecoming, darkened veil called sin that can shroud you. You have to choose to let Jesus hold up a mirror to you and choose to allow Him to let you see if there is any offensive way in you.
Veils such as pride, envy, selfishness, anger, jealousy, and unforgiveness will shroud the mighty work of the Spirit and keep you from revealing God’s glory. When you choose to walk in sin rather than walk in the freedom of Christ (which is found within you at this very moment), you choose to derail God’s purpose for you. And that purpose is to reveal His nature, His character, His glory.
For leaders, the veils are often the last things we want to deal with because they’re the things closest to our face. You can’t see your own veil clearly without a mirror. And the mirror is usually the Word of God, the voice of the Holy Spirit, or the honest words of someone who loves you enough to tell you the truth.
I’ve worked with leaders who were doing incredible things outwardly while wearing a veil they refused to acknowledge. The pride that made them unteachable. The jealousy that poisoned their attitude toward other leaders’ success. The unforgiveness that hardened them toward a person who hurt them years ago. The selfishness that made every decision ultimately about them. The ministry looked fine from the outside. But the glory was shrouded. The degree of transformation that should have been visible was blocked by a veil they kept choosing to wear.
And here’s what makes the veil especially dangerous for leaders: people can sense it even when they can’t name it. They know something is off. The warmth is missing. The transparency feels calculated. The leadership has skill but lacks something deeper. What’s missing is the unveiled face. The unobstructed glory of Christ shining through a life that has nothing to hide.
Freedom Is Right Here
But the glorious promise of 2 Corinthians 3 is that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Because of the Lord’s mighty power, His forgiveness, and His righteousness in you, you can choose to let Him break the self-imposed shackles of sin and let Him place your feet back on the path that leads to His glory.
The very key to your freedom from sin is as close as your next breath, with a prayer of true repentance. If you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you. And you can then allow the Spirit to continue His glorious work in you, to bring you, each day, one degree closer to the image of Christ.
That’s the beauty of the one-degree framework. You don’t have to fix everything today. You don’t have to arrive this week. You just have to be one degree closer than you were yesterday. One degree less prideful. One degree more patient. One degree further from the anger that used to control you. One degree deeper in trust. One degree more transparent with the people you lead. One degree closer to reflecting the image of the God who is doing the transforming.
For leaders, this takes the pressure off performance and puts it back on surrender. You’re not responsible for producing the transformation. The Spirit does that. You’re responsible for removing the veils that block it. Confess the pride. Release the unforgiveness. Name the jealousy. Surrender the selfishness. Let Jesus hold up the mirror. Let Him show you what’s offensive. And then let Him lead you in the way everlasting. One degree at a time.
The Unveiled Leader
Only when you reflect His image can He receive glory and be made known to this dying world. That sentence should sit at the center of every leader’s mission statement. Because your leadership isn’t ultimately about what you accomplish. It’s about what you reflect.
The unveiled leader is the one who has done the hard work of letting God expose and remove the things that block His glory. Not perfectly. Not completely. But progressively. One degree at a time. And the result is a leader whose life radiates something that can’t be explained by talent, strategy, or effort alone. It’s the glory of God, shining through an imperfect vessel that has been made increasingly transparent by the work of the Spirit.
That’s the reliable messenger at their best. Not someone who has arrived. Someone who is being transformed. Not someone without veils. Someone who keeps removing them. Not someone who reflects Christ perfectly. Someone who reflects Him one degree more clearly today than they did yesterday. And that kind of leader gives everyone around them hope. Because if God can do that work in you, with all your flaws, then He can do it in them too.
The transformation isn’t just for you. It’s for everyone who watches your life and wonders if real change is actually possible. Your one degree of progress might be the evidence someone else needs to believe that God is still in the business of transformation.
Next Steps for the Leader Who Wants to Be One Degree Closer
Pray Psalm 139:23–24 this week and mean it. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” That’s an invitation for God to hold up the mirror. It takes courage. But it’s the starting point for every degree of transformation that follows. Don’t pray it casually. Pray it slowly, with your hands open, ready to hear whatever He reveals.
Identify one veil and begin removing it. You don’t have to deal with everything at once. Pick one. The pride that makes you resistant to feedback. The unforgiveness you’ve been carrying. The jealousy that flares when another leader succeeds. The selfishness that has crept into your decision-making. Name it. Confess it. And ask the Spirit to begin the work of removing it so that His glory can shine one degree more clearly through your life.
Stop measuring transformation by milestones and start measuring it by degrees. If you’ve been frustrated that you’re not further along, recalibrate your expectations. God never promised overnight transformation. He promised ongoing transformation, from one degree of glory to another. Look back over the past year and ask honestly: am I one degree closer than I was? If the answer is yes, that’s faithfulness. That’s the Spirit at work. Celebrate the degree and trust Him with the next one.
Let someone see you without the veil. One of the bravest things a leader can do is let someone see them as they actually are, not the polished version. Find a trusted friend, a mentor, a spouse, and let them see the real you. The areas still under construction. The degrees still in process. The veils you’re working to remove. That vulnerability doesn’t diminish your leadership. It authenticates it. And it gives the Spirit more room to work.
Thank God for the work He’s already done. Praise God we can live life today with a thankful heart. Jesus, we are grateful for the tireless work of the Spirit in our life, today and every day. Thank You, God, for Your provisions that make it possible for us to be even one degree closer. Before you ask for more transformation, stop and acknowledge the transformation that’s already happened. The degree you’re standing in right now was hard won. The Spirit fought for it. Honor that before you rush to the next one.
You are being transformed. Not you might be. Not you should be. You are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. And this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
One degree closer today. One degree closer tomorrow. And the God who started the work will be faithful to complete it.