“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 12:2

We see it all around us. People conform their behavior to fit the culture of today. Conformity can be both good and bad. It can be good because it helps society cooperate and function in an orderly way. But it can also be bad when conforming leads to bad outcomes and people stop thinking for themselves.

How does conformity occur today? The tendency to conform occurs in small groups or in society as a whole, and may result from subtle, unconscious influences or from direct and overt social pressure.

Conformity is the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms, politics, or like-mindedness. People often choose to conform to society rather than to pursue personal desires—because it is often easier to follow the path others have already made, rather than forging a new one.

It comes in many ways:

• Peer Pressure: Teenagers engaging in risky behaviors because it’s deemed “cool.”
• Fashion Trends: People wearing a specific style of clothing because it’s currently popular in society.
• Corporate Culture: Employees adopting certain behaviors or attitudes to fit into the prevailing culture of their workplace or social groups.
  The bottom line is that people in today’s world choose to adapt to the ways of the world when the Bible tells us to conform to the ways of the Word. Their identity becomes the identity of the world.

According to the Bible, Jesus is our identity, and He lives His life through us, so our chief purpose in this life is to be like Him. In our daily walk with Jesus, we learn from Him, and His Spirit is helping us do His will over our own will. Thus, we are becoming more like Jesus. This is what it means to be conformed to His image. How do we do that?

Romans 12:2 answers the question, “How should we respond to God’s great mercy to us?” The answer is to become living, breathing sacrifices, pouring out our lives in service to God as an ongoing act of worship. That’s what makes sense. This is not a means to earn salvation, but the natural response we should have to being saved. To do this, we will need to break free from the me-first pattern of the world and have our minds changed in order to be able to understand what God wants. Then we will know how to live. How will you conform your life?

by John Grant
used by permission

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The Sound Mind Principle

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