"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."
Romans 12:2-5
I like the conformed/transformed dichotomy in the first verse, telling us not to "just fit in" with the world, but to be changed, renewed... and into what is answered in the following verses. We shouldn't join with the world in thinking that we are better than we are, but to try to see the reality (that we have room for improvement, that we need help, etc.).
As part of that seeing ourselves a little more clearly, he asks us to recognize that we are a community, and part of a whole, needing other people the way we need members of our family, because we are--joined together through God, not just as members of a church, but larger than that: society, humanity. We're part of God's family, and though we are "unprofitable servants" (Luke 17:10, Mosiah 2:21) in a sense, because we can't pay God back for what he gives to us, all he asks us, because we are his family, is to keep his commandments. Not for his sake, but for ours, because his commandments are designed for our happiness, and to help us return to him.
Today, let's stop trying to conform, and choose instead to transform... to become more like God and to stop trying to be like the rest of the world. Let's try not to focus on ourselves and how cool we are, but to step it down a little and see ourselves in the context of a society and work on helping and serving others, as we all work to get back to our Father in Heaven.
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."
Romans 12:2-5
I like the conformed/transformed dichotomy in the first verse, telling us not to "just fit in" with the world, but to be changed, renewed... and into what is answered in the following verses. We shouldn't join with the world in thinking that we are better than we are, but to try to see the reality (that we have room for improvement, that we need help, etc.).
As part of that seeing ourselves a little more clearly, he asks us to recognize that we are a community, and part of a whole, needing other people the way we need members of our family, because we are--joined together through God, not just as members of a church, but larger than that: society, humanity. We're part of God's family, and though we are "unprofitable servants" (Luke 17:10, Mosiah 2:21) in a sense, because we can't pay God back for what he gives to us, all he asks us, because we are his family, is to keep his commandments. Not for his sake, but for ours, because his commandments are designed for our happiness, and to help us return to him.
Today, let's stop trying to conform, and choose instead to transform... to become more like God and to stop trying to be like the rest of the world. Let's try not to focus on ourselves and how cool we are, but to step it down a little and see ourselves in the context of a society and work on helping and serving others, as we all work to get back to our Father in Heaven.
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