One of the things that we all struggle with is change. I’m not talking about some New Year’s resolution that gets broken soon after it is made, but rather about lasting change. It’s hard to make that kind of change.
Take for instance, the guy who is trying to lose some weight. When he got to the office one morning, his co-workers noticed that he was carrying two dozen donuts. They asked him why he had brought donuts when he is trying to lose weight.
He said, “Well, on my way to work this morning I said a short prayer. I said, ‘God, if you want me to buy some donuts for breakfast this morning, just let there be a vacant parking space in front of the donut shop.’ And wouldn’t you know it, on my eighth trip around the block a parking place suddenly opened up!”
Change is something we all desire, but often quite another to achieve. It is more than cosmetic, it’s more than just a skinnier version of the same old you. God knows that if we are to experience lasting change, it’s got to start inside.
Ephesians 4:23 says, “Be made new in the attitude of your minds.”
That means that if you want to change on the outside, you have to begin by taking an inventory of the kind of things we let into the inside of us, into our minds, for instance. Whether we realize it or not, we are easily influenced. We’re influenced by what we watch on TV, what we read in a newspaper, what others do or what they tell us. Some of that influence is pretty faulty.
If you really want make sure your inside gets the right information that will have a positive impact on your outside, then don’t settle for what those around you are telling you. After all, if you want to take your life up to a new level, up a notch, you have to try to conform it something that is bigger and greater than you, not someone on your level.
The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:1 – “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Now, there are two very important words Paul uses here. The first is the word “conform.” According to the dictionary this word means, ‘to make or become the same, to accept without question the customs, traditions and prevailing opinion of others.’ We often do this, don’t we? We think, “Oh, everybody else is doing it so it must be okay.” But God says, “Don’t conform to the ways of this world. Stop and think about what you’re doing.” Before you buy into a train of thought, an action or someone’s opinion, think about it first. Take a moment and ask God what He thinks. You’d be surprised the insight He has on the matter and He could save you a lot of grief.
The second word Paul uses in the word “transform.” Transform means ‘to change the condition, function, nature, character or personality of something.’ It means to change from the inside out. In Romans 12, Paul says to transform yourself not by trying to be like the rest of the world, but by renewing your mind, by changing the way you think. You may say, “OK, if I’m not suppose to think about the kinds of things the world thinks about, what do I think about?” Paul answers this question in Philippians 4:8 – “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious, the best not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”
God wants a new you who not only looks different, but who lives and thinks and speaks and acts differently. He wants a new you that takes a 180-degree turn and is heading in a new direction, no longer trying to fit in with what everyone else is doing. He wants a new you that is transformed by having your mind renewed; a new you that is becoming more like Jesus Christ.
You don’t have to make this inside transformation on your own. In fact, for it to be lasting, you can’t do it alone. Only God can help you to be transformed from the inside out. Why not ask Him to help you make the changes? He’s got the power to get the job done.
Everyone wants to stand out, have their own distinct flavour of life. Why not give God’s way a try. Believe me, you will be different in a way that out-classes the old you.
