Being Different

Being different can be thought of as either bad or good.  Many people do not want to be viewed as different because that word often places them in the "bad" category and at the center of attention.  When someone is different, they are often considered weird, out of place, not fitting in, or inferior.  Believe it or not, God wants Christians to be different – but in a positive way.  Think about this: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2). Notice these things about being different in a positive way:

1)      Non-Conformity.  The text says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.”  When a person conforms to the thinking and living of the people of the world, they often “go with the flow” either by saying things that are not good or acting in ungodly ways.

2)      Life Change.  This verse identifies a change when it says, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  The mind is where change needs to begin.  To renew the mind, one must be saturated with, and functioning under the authority of the written Word — the Bible

3)      A Spiritual Difference.  This phrase points to a specific kind of difference - “what God’s will is.”  A godly, different person is one who is in step with God by filling their mind with God’s Word, and by listening to, learning from, and following God's commands. The will of God is lived-out when a person turns from existing like the world suggests and changing his or her thoughts to what God says.

4)      Difference Maker.  A clear declaration is pronounced by the expression “in view of God’s mercy.”  What is changed is being different in a positive, godly way.  God’s mercy is extended to everyone who believes in Christ and receives Him as Savior.  When they submit to God’s involvement, that means that they are ready to “offer [their] bodies as a living sacrifice[s]  To give everything that a person is and has to God is reflected in how that person lives his or her life.

Are you different?  Are you different in a good, godly way?  Have you determined to stop following the actions and attitudes of the world?  Has your life been transformed?  Do you realize that you are the recipient of God’s mercy and that you need to present your body as a living sacrifice to God?  Let’s be different together.

Complete Transformation

Often a home or a facility can be refreshed and transformed on the inside without a change being seen on the outside.  For example, the addition of a fresh coat of paint can make a dramatic change.  The drab turns attractive; the dull becomes bright; the dreary turns out to be cheerful; and the uninteresting develops into something attention-grabbing.  I believe a dramatic change can happen not only in a facility, but in the lives of people.  Obviously, people do not need a coat of paint, but they need a transformation.  The Apostle Paul suggested a life-change for individuals when he wrote these words: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2). Here are three questions about human transformation.

1)      What does it mean to be transformed?  To transform means to renovate, refurbish, repair, restore, or mend.  In the verse above the word that was used for “transformed” has to do with a metamorphous – a complete change.  This change is similar to the way a butterfly emerges from a cocoon that was spun by a worm.

2)      How does transformation take place?  Transformation is made possible by a force that is outside of the individual.  The Bible tells us that force is “the Lord” who is “the Spirit.”  Scripture also says, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (II Corinthians 3:18). It is God the Holy Spirit who transforms individual lives.

3)      In what way does human transformation take place?  Change takes place through renewal.  To “renew” means to restore or to make new.  It is God who does the renewing as shown in the text – “comes from the Lord” – and the renewal begins with our minds – “renewing of your mind”.  “Renew” here means that the transformation is continuous, and the change is ongoing.  In another scripture the Apostle Paul reminds us that we are being “made new in the attitude of your minds” (Ephesians 4:23).  God makes the transformation in the minds, hearts, and lives of people.  And it is by faith that we need God’s help as we become more like Jesus daily.

Think about these questions: (1) Are you determined that you will not be conformed to the pattern of this world?  (2) Has your life been transformed by God?  (3) Has the attitude of your mind been made new by God’s renewing power?  You can enjoy a complete transformation and be part of God’s forever family when you put your trust in God.  Scripture tells us that, “He gave the right and the power to become children of God to those who received Him. He gave this to those who put their trust in His name” (John 1:12, NLV).  It also tells that that we can enjoy eternal life, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever” (John 3:16).  Let God completely transform you and make you a brand-new person.