Devotional: Transformed
"And do not be conformed to this world, but 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
I’ve known this verse since I was a little girl, but up until now, I hadn’t meditated deeper on the idea of conforming versus transforming. Paul, who wrote the book of Romans, specifically chose two different words to indicate a contrast.
First of all, conforming doesn’t require much effort. For example, if you pour liquid into any vessel, it effortlessly conforms to its shape.
Secondly, in order to conform, something else has to already be in existence. Like playdough squished into a mold, it conforms to the mold’s pattern because it already exists. The prefix “con-” means “with” and “-form” means “shape.” So, the essence of conforming is to shape with something else.
As humans, it’s in our nature to conform to our environment. We see trends in clothing and hairstyles, or there’s a catch-phrase that everyone is saying, so we adopt it in order to fit in.
Like a chameleon whose color changes based on its surroundings, we want to blend in.
Transformation, however, is completely different. The original Greek word is metamorphoō, which is where we get the word metamorphosis. The idea of transformation is that we become something entirely different, not patterned after the environment around us. The prefix “trans-” means “to change completely.”
A caterpillar, in contrast to a chameleon that stays the same creature, goes through a period of time in a cocoon and eventually transforms into a completely new creature– a stunning butterfly.
Another analogy of this idea is a school of fish swimming in one direction. The easy thing for every fish to do is swim together because so many are going the same way at once. The more challenging thing to do would be to turn around and swim the opposite direction. The current of the water and “crowd” of fish would be pushing against that single fish.
As you can see, Paul chose these two words on purpose. When we become a believer, our growth and character doesn’t remain neutral if we “sit back.” We will either start conforming to the world around us or we have to be proactive to be transformed. The first doesn’t take any effort, so it’s easy to become passive, whereas the latter requires us to push against the grain.
How are we transformed?
When you believe in Jesus, you are immediately transformed in the spirit. God now calls you His child, you are His heir, you a new creation, you are born again, you have the Holy Spirit within you, you have a new heart, etc.
As we know, though, our new man wars with the old man. The butterfly that God sees wrestles with the caterpillar that is our flesh. We are butterflies, but we still have the tendencies of a caterpillar; we want to crawl instead of fly, we don’t want to stand out and people notice us, we want to eat plain old leaves instead of sweet nectar.
So, how do we embrace our identity as a new creation?
Romans 12:2 tells us that transformation comes “by the renewing of your mind.” And what is the purpose of this transformation? So that we can prove (or experience) God’s will in our lives. So that we can act and live as the new creation He has called us to be. In verse 1, Paul encourages readers to “present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice…which is [our] reasonable service.” So, becoming that living sacrifice starts with a mindset change.
1.Knowing God’s Character.
Renewal of the mind begins with understanding who God is. He is a loving Father who wants the best for us, He loves you unconditionally, He has freed you from being a slave to the world and your sins, He will never leave you nor forsake you, He is patient, He is a provider, He is a promise-keeper, etc.
2. Knowing Your Identity in Christ
As always, this is key to true change in our lives. We renew our minds by changing the way we view ourselves, according to scripture. For example, remind yourself daily of what God says about you: you are a child of God, you are freed from the bondage of sin, you are reconciled to God, you are a friend of God, you are unconditionally loved by Jesus, etc. Replace your thoughts of worldly identity with these true forms of identity. If your identity is in your career, your desires, or how other people view you, replace those thoughts with God’s view of you.
3. Reading and Meditating on the Word.
This goes hand in hand with knowing your identity. If you know that you are loved by God, that you are His child, that you are cared for and seen by Him, that He desires to bless you, that He wants what is best for you, then His Word also tells us how we should live our lives as a result of our identity. The Bible defines what sin is (which is anything contrary to God’s character) and it tells us what is holy and beneficial for our lives according to God’s design. Renewing your mind requires being in His Word.
4. Perspective Shifts.
Our human vantage point limits us from understanding God’s bigger picture, but Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” When we focus on the fact that the things we deal with on earth are temporary, we are able to rest in the peace of having eternity with God. As a result, this renews our mind to stop worrying about the little things and to be able to trust that God is in control even when life seems crazy.
5. Prayer and Gratitude.
Prayer reveals our dependence upon God to carry the burdens of life for us. Praying continually like 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tell us to do helps renew our mind because it keeps our focus on God throughout the day. Gratitude renews our minds because we focus on the blessings in this life and that God uses everything for our good and His glory.
6. Take Every Thought Captive.
We are constantly bombarded with things to think about, whether it’s our own thoughts, intrusive thoughts from the enemy, or information being shoved down our throats from the news and social media. We have to sift through misinformation, lies, deception, destructive thoughts, our own selfish thoughts… the list goes on. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to cast “down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” We need to be aware and understand that there is a battle going on for our mind. Renewing it requires us to be aware of what is ungodly and to discard and replace it with what is godly.
7. Focus on These Things:
Philippians 4:8-9 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” Notice that at the end of this list, Paul says that the God of peace will be with you. We renew our minds by evaluating our thoughts according to this list and as a result, peace guards us.
8. Standing Out; Being Obedient to God
If I’m being honest with you, I always want to be a wallflower. I don’t want to stand out. But, God calls us to be light and He calls us to be set-apart. Set-apart from what? We are to set ourselves apart from culture, from the world’s expectations, from sin, from compromising on God’s standards. While everything else listed before this point are tools for renewing our minds, the change is affected by acting it out. Mind renewal actually happens when knowledge is applied. It’s scary and intimidating to stand-out. Albeit, some people are more comfortable standing out than others. But, if our focus is on pleasing God, not people, He will give us the strength to be bold.
Take a moment: Evaluate your walk with God. Are you more often the chameleon or the butterfly?
This question might be a little convicting. It is for me, at least. What realistic changes can you make in your life to submit to God’s desire to transform your mind?
What other ways can you renew your mind? Ultimately, it is God who does the change within us, but we have to be willing participants as He directs us. Being transformed by the renewing of our minds is what it means to live by faith.
-Alina