How Will You Choose Today?
Holiness is in our choices
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1,2 (ESV)
With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-make you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed. Thus you will prove in practice that the will of God is good, acceptable to him and perfect. Romans 12:1,2 (J.B. Phillips)
Paul's exhortation is that we not allow ourselves to be squeezed into the world's own "mould," but instead allow God to "re-make" us so that our entire mindset is changed. That from the J.B. Phillips translation.
Molding something is the act of changing a malleable material into a different shape. If that does not describe us in the middle of today's world then I don't know what does. Everywhere we look we see ourselves being squeezed by changing cultural norms, rejection of old standards and truths, and never-ending pressure to conform or become an outcast. But outcast from what, and how does one resist all this pressure to conform?
The question puts a spotlight on our conundrum. The world and God both want to re-make us into their image. We must choose between the two. The world offers a hidden path as its morals, truths, and ways constantly change. Yesterday's correctness is made vile tomorrow by never-ending compromise until Truth is an elusive and invisible concept that we talk about but do not understand or submit to. We can never know what the next truth, normal, or politically correct will be, never know when what we believed we could build our life upon will be swept away in a new purge.
God's Way vs. the World's Way
The world offers its constant din of chaos, conflict, compromise, greed, lust, and hatred. God offers something different: Never changing Truth that we can stand on, live by, depend upon, and rejoice in, a path that we can see and follow to the end with confidence.1 God offers holiness, righteousness, eternal bliss and the heart of a grateful Creator.
How Will You Choose?
The holiness and righteousness we seek are inside of us in the choices we make. Through them we decide the practice of our lives. They dictate the forces that will re-make our attitude of heart and mind such that we are transformed into a new image, either the world’s or God’s.
There are so many ways that our mindsets need to be changed, healed, and re-made - so many areas of life that this scripture speaks to and challenges. We think of ourselves as godly believers who have a few issues. God sees us as a work in progress, people who struggle with the world while loving Him. The two are incompatible and from that comes the tension in our life, the tension between the world and God.
Pause in silence and solitude and listen as God asks: How will you choose today?
Shalom
Hebrews 13:8