This week's devotion is entitled:

Non-Conformity


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

You've probably heard this verse a million times. But anything you've heard that many times must have some meaning to it. So instead of letting it just roll off of you, let's look deeper into this verse to see why it's so important. I'm going to break the verse down into three parts and take a closer look at it.

And do not be conformed to this world,...

What is conformity? Does it kind of sound like fitting in or following the crowd? Well, it is. How many times (and be honest with yourself) do you compromise your Christianity to fit in? Some examples of compromising your Christianity to fit in: keeping quiet, denying God, not inviting people to church who need to be there, not bringing up God when you know someone around you needs Him. Have you ever done any of these things? You are conforming to the world. But don't panic, we all make mistakes and we can all change.

...but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,...

What does it mean to be transformed? It means that you were once something old, and God has changed you into something new. If you are a Christian, you were transformed when you accepted Jesus into your heart and were born again. You are a new person and you need to live like it. It's not always easy to make changes and live for God. But it is worth it in the long run to live for God and let Him direct your path, and not the world.

...that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

God wants us to show others His will in the way we live. He wants us to live in such a way that other people can see Jesus in us. The Bible says in Matthew 5:14 that we are the light of the world. We need to show others that we have hope through the dark times and that something changed in us when we were born again.

So in closing, I would just like to say that we should take a closer look at those familiar verses, and go back over ground that we have covered, because there could be something there for us that we never saw before.