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Do Not Be Conformed to This World
Andrea Lende • October 3, 2020
Romans 12:2
Do Not Be Conformed to This World
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Do-Not-Be-Conformed-to-This-World-eki2g9
Romans 12:2
“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind, so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].”
Paul’s advice two thousand years ago could not be more relevant to us today.
Even way back then, Paul said to not follow after and become adapted to the current customs of the day.
He warned about chasing after the superficial things in life.
He told them to seek God.
Seek God for His perfect will for their lives.
His perfect will for each and every life is separate and different from one another.
There are many times I have been unclear about God’s will for my life.
Confusion sets in because there are so many worthy things to do in this lifetime.
There are worthy vocations.
There are worthy aspirations.
And there are interruptions in life that seem to take time away from God’s perfect will.
Bumps in the road, unforeseen turns in road, and roadblocks that keep us from moving forward.
However, the Lord tells us to seek Him and His perfect will.
Seek is a verb – an action word.
We are to actively seek the Lord and His perfect will.
There is nothing wasted in His kingdom.
He is teaching us and training us along the twists and turns of this life.
He is constantly equipping us to do His will as we seek Him.
He is readying us to serve Him in the way that He desires our service.
He is molding our hearts along the way.
He is working on our personalities and developing those parts of us that need strengthening or correcting.
He is transforming us.
He is perfecting us.
He is spending time with us.
He is showering us in His grace and mercy.
He is showing us Who He is.
He is increasing our faith until it is steady and unwavering.
He is preparing us.
And He is loving us.
He is doing this all the while we are seeking Him and His perfect will for our lives.
Even during these difficult times, He is doing a work in us.
Today I choose to seek the Lord and allow him to transform and renew my mind so that His perfect will in my life is done.
May you find that as You seek the Lord that He will transform and renew your mind and show you His perfect will for your life.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for transforming my heart, soul, and mind. I am unable to do what You can do, Father. I am unable to change myself. But You are fully able to correct what needs to be corrected. You are able to strengthen me where I am weak. You are able to bend my will to Yours. You are able to soften my hard heart. You are able to put compassion in my soul. You are able to flood my spirit with Your love so that I may love as You do. You are able to increase my faith so that I do not waver in my belief in the miraculous. You are able, Lord. Thank You for showing me that I need to seek You. Thank You for showing me that You have a perfect plan for me as I seek You. Thank You, Father, for doing all You do to transform me into the person You desire me to be. Help me give You all the pieces of my heart, soul, and mind so that You can do all the work You need to do in me. Help me not hold anything back from You. Enfold me in Your love as You change me, Lord. Help me bless others as You do a work in me. Thank you for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM working in you, My child, and My perfect will for you will be done.
Response: May I give my entire being to You, Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.