WEEK 28 – DAY 1

July 12, 2021

I WANT TO BE A NON-CONFORMIST

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed  by the renewing of your mind, Romans 12:2a

The Bible instructs me to be a non-conformist! That does not mean I’ll suddenly become a hippy or a hermit. It indicates that I should be totally different from the world. The Phillips translation renders the first part of Romans 12:2, “Do not let the world squeeze you into its mould.” The influences of this world are all around us every day. The billboards, the TV, even newspaper ads tell us we need to be sexy, daring, and please ourselves. There are magazines called, Us, Me, and People. The ads ask us to spend money on products to color our hair, smooth our skin, and tighten our thighs because “you’re worth it!” When the world does promote a focus on the “inner man,” it is along the lines of achieving ultimate satisfaction for (you guessed it) yourself. We are to live in this world but not be like it (John 17:14-15), and we are not to embrace the world as our friend (James 4:4). We are not to love worldly ways (I John 2:15). We are to be light to the world (Matthew 5:14) rather than expecting the fading glitz of the world to light our way. We are told that we gain nothing if we have the whole world at the cost of our souls (Matthew 16:26).  How do we escape the influence of this world? We overcome the world by our faith in Jesus Christ (I John 5:4-5). Once we are free from the pollution of the world, we should not return to it (II Peter 2:20). How do we daily reject the world and turn to God’s wisdom? We watch what we put into our minds. We read God’s word more than the ads. We read books that encourage us to walk with the Lord rather than those that create lust for forbidden relationships or worthless things. We surround ourselves with friends who are also seeking to live for God rather than this world’s fleeting pleasures. We choose to follow the gentle urgings of the Holy Spirit within us instead of the glaring billboards of the media.

Father, help us to hear Your voice above all others. Help us to be a light to the world rather than letting it influence us to live in darkness. Help us to live victoriously, overcoming the world while traveling through it. Help us to be non-conformists!