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 12:2 (MSG)
Transformation Change – Part 4
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3
I ‘gave my heart to Jesus' as a child when life was a little more simple. One of the reasons I’m still a Christian today, and call myself a Christian, is because I believe that a life of faith is a life where I can question the world and my heart in a safe place, and truly be challenged and changed on a heart level. It’s the strong belief that the way things are in the world can change, be redeemed and transformed. A little (a whole lot) like resurrection.
I haven’t “left” one way of conforming behind only to become a part of another way of conforming.
Jesus constantly challenged the status quo. He was always moving to the edge of things… pushing the boundaries, making us think… asking questions and never really answering any. (have you noticed that?). The main way he communicated in the Gospels was through parables. In our controlled world, we subconsciously seek to control the interpretations of these parables. We want to put them in nice little boxes where they mean what they mean and we can pull them out when we need to. But that isn’t the function of a parable. They have no set interpretation. They were not told by Rabbi’s before and after Jesus to deliver a particular point. (Check out our ‘Parables' series – Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3). They have always been used as a way of disrupting and unearthing hidden issues, hurts, motivations… they are designed to get under your skin and make you think, question and seek. And that is the function of faith.
God is not seeking to conform you. He doesn’t want you to go from a “worldly lemming” to a Christian one. Conforming is about controlling what you do. Transformation is about becoming who you are truly meant to be.
Years ago, when I was drinking too much, a dear friend didn’t tell me to stop. Instead she asked me why I was doing it. And the why invited transformation. When I was depressed that my house wasn’t big or nice enough, my husband didn’t tell me to stop moaning and work harder so that I can make more money so that I can buy more things. He asked me why I thought I needed a big and nice house in the first place. And the why invited transformation. When I would instinctually avoid certain people in public, it wasn't until I asked myself why that I realised I had conformed to some worldly prejudices. And the why invited transformation.
In Romans 12:2 “The ways of the world” is not a reference to sex, drugs and rock and roll. Sure, there is behaviour that is destructive and wrong and people would be better off not engaging in it. But that behaviour comes from a belief deep down in people's lives that they have conformed to. Transformation doesn’t come by conforming behaviour. It comes from asking the question why and inviting transformation.
The ways of the world are more like:
Me first.
Hate.
Isolation.
Greed.
Lust.
Separateness.
Certainty.
Violence.
Indifference.
And more.
We can live on the streets or in big beautiful homes and live a life (or not) conformed to the ways of the world.
Is there conformity in your life that you need to question? Are there areas that need transforming?
“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.” Rom 12:1-2 (MSG).
Go to Part 5 – Conformity Kills »
