Non Conformity

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

I read this verse through a few times, and it was one of those that I thought to myself that there was something good here. There's something really interesting about this verse, but I can't quite put my finger on it. In that instance, my plan of attack is usually to look at the verse in other translations to see how it compares. I read through a few, but they were very similar, until I read the verse in The Message. While The Message usually does come through on an interesting variation, I think this time, it was right on the money. Check it out.

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." Romans 12:1-2

There are definitely those times where I wonder what the Bible is talking about. Verses like Romans 12:2 say to not conform to the ways of this world, and other verses say the exact same thing, but what, exactly does that mean? Is it different for every person? Does it mean we should stop doing specific activities or buying specific things? I love how The Message specifically says that it's about our everyday life. Our everyday activities, the dropping off of kids at school, the grocery shopping, the day at the office, preparing dinner, giving baths, carpooling, eating dinner, all should be given to God. When we are out and about during the day, how many people do we come across? And how many of those people even see us or notice us. We're so busy blending in, keeping busy and keeping up with the Jones's that we are just another busy bee, going about from task to task.

But what would happen if we gave that all to God? What if, at every transition of activity, we would take a minute to talk to God, to ask him to prepare our minds, to open us up to the possibility of sharing His love with those around us. I have to suspect that God would take us up on our offering. People would begin to look up and look at us, and see instantly that there is something different about us. The people we interact with every day will see God's love in our eyes and want to know more- they want to know what we've got, so they can get some too.

There's a second part to this as well. "Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is"- the more we spend open to the possibilities that God would have for us, the more the answers will come to us. If we spend more time seeking God's Will for us, and giving Him that time, we'll become more receptive to His Word for us. When you first get to know someone, it sometimes takes a few meetings before you recognize their voice on the phone. But the more you talk to them, the more you know who it is at the first hello. The exact same holds true for God. It doesn't do any good to wander about being willing to do God's Will, and wondering exactly what God's Will is, if you aren't spending the time to talk to Him. If you are so busy everyday that you just move from task to task, you aren't talking to God, and more importantly, you aren't giving Him the time to talk back.

And God's Will is always perfect. And look above- it's always pleasing and always good. Why wouldn't we want to take the time for that? The Message states that God brings out the best in us- unlike the world around us that may bring out the worst. Of course God brings out the best in us, He is perfection. Again though, that means we need to spend time with him! Think of a marriage. Think of the two people involved. When they first become husband and wife, they are two people, coming together, usually with two very different personalities and traits, but as time goes on, as the years pass, the two people become more like each other. They adapt to embrace the other spouse's uniqueness. Someone who is usually shy and reticent will eventually pick up on her husbands boldness and tendency to be stubborn. And often times, that spouse who is more bold and outgoing may pick up on some of that hesitancy to speak first, think later. These two personalities compliment each other, and it comes from spending time together. I often hear married couples talk about how their spouse brings out the best in them, but it doesn't happen when one spouse is gone all the time. In the exact same way, God will bring out the best in us, but first we have to spend time with Him.

Do not conform to the patterns of this world. That is such an interesting thought! If that truly is talking about my everyday, my boring everyday activities, what could that mean for me? It's kind of exciting to think about an enhanced life of sorts. I already can tell when I'm spending time with God versus when I'm not. When I'm focused on God for much of the time, I'm much more productive. I get more accomplished in a day, and I sleep better at night. When I'm slipping, I spend more time being lazy, and I often find myself playing catch up with my tasks because I've spent too long reading or watching TV or cruising online.

May God use this verse today. May it stay at the forefront of my mind as I go about my everyday activities. By dwelling on this verse, perhaps more revelation will come. That's exciting to think about!