Transformed
…be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
(Romans 12:2, NKJV)
Living in community and gaining a sense of belonging calls for us to adjust on some things that we have known or even believed. This adjustment could be positive or negative depending on the situation. The pressure to “fit in” is felt by many people, with some totally adopting new behaviours and characters, in order to align to the group that they are seeking to belong to. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is a reality especially for young people or when one is in a new environment. This propels the innate desire to behave like others even though at first it might feel strange. An honest look into one’s personal life, there will be recognition of times when peer pressure led him/her to do something or say something that they were uncomfortable with. May this help us to be more accommodating of and gentle with others, when they struggle and make efforts to belong. Reflecting on how situations change us, I observed that it involves both our speech and actions. Actions seem to be the first sign of change while one adjusts to the language or intonation of a place. Observing one’s actions, we are able to tell of their mindset, we get a peek into what is going on in the inside. This is also true to speech, it gives us an idea of the change whether positive or negative.
Our reference verse calls us not to conform but to transform. Conform and transform both suggest a change of some sorts. Checking the word meanings, I learnt that ‘conform’ suggests compliance and agreement with something or the way of doing things, it is about fitting in. ‘Transform’ on the other hand calls for converting or changing the nature of something, it has an active influence so that it does not remain the same way it was before. Back to our verse, we are called to transform, change, modify, alter, convert what exists not conform to it. Beloved, the verse clearly states that we can only know the perfect will of God by taking an active part of altering what already exists. We will not know God’s will for us or the situation by conforming, for in conforming we are maintaining the status quo. As I reflect on this, I am reminded that Jesus called us the ‘salt of the earth’, ‘light of the world’ (Matthew 5:13-16). This means that as a believer, one cannot be in a place and it remains the same, there is an expectation that there will be a change and for the better, to the glory of God. There should be a new taste. Thanks be to God that we do not transform our world by ourselves but by the word of God, delighting and meditating on it (Psalm 1:2). As our minds remain active with thoughts and preferences of our past, we are to actively demolish all arguments against the word of God, making our thoughts obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Beloved, we change our thoughts based on what we focus on, let it be noble, just, pure, lovely, excellent, right, worth of praise (Philippians 4:8). May this be the new taste that the world around us experiences, changes that draw them to God and His ways.
Thoughts:
Have you conformed or transformed your space?
What has caused you to conform?
What have you transformed?