by Katherine Born

Created on: September 01, 2009   Last Updated: September 12, 2009

"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)

What does this mean for a believer today? This verse cannot be understood completely unless it is seen in context. This is the concluding argument for the thought that started in Romans 12:1: Present your bodies as living sacrifices to God as your act of service, no longer following this world but by transforming your mind you understand and know what God's will is (for you).

How and why should this verse be followed? Why is easy - to serve God as He desires us to serve Him. How is a lot harder. How involves daily, hourly choices that involve not just your mind but your body as well. By refusing to follow the pattern of this world, a Christian must say no to many common, seeming "victim-less" sins like lying and allowing our thoughts to go where our bodies shouldn't follow, monitoring our motives as well as our actions. It is not possible to present ourselves to God as anything other than wretched sinners constantly screwing up, but God tells us that we can renew our minds and through this renewal will gain an understanding of God's perfect will.

The first step to renewing our minds is recognizing what is wrong. God's Holy Spirit will help us if we are willing to allow Him to convict us of all the thought-sins we commit. Once we become aware of them, we must begin the battle. This battle will occur every moment of every day, and it can be exhausting if we are trying to do it with only our own strength. However, God says that we can call on Him and give Him our burdens. Struggling with envy? Direct your thoughts to gratitude. Struggling with adultery? Allow Him to purify you and direct your thoughts to holy, good and pure things. Allowing anger to control you? Realize that as God's chosen servant you have power over any temptation and choose to run away from it. The battle rages hottest in the beginning, but as you slowly choose good holy thoughts over sinful, the choosing gets easier and easier. This is the transformation God is talking about. You may think that you will never overcome a sinful habit, but after time you may look back and not even be able to remember how strong the temptation was, it has lost so much power over you through the strengthening of your spirit by God.

Although choosing to allow God into your thought life and choosing to fight against sinful thoughts can be extremely difficult, it is also an awesome thing: the God of the universe is revealing His perfect will to you - you! And not only that, He is saying that your fight is an acceptable form of worship and service to Him! All the money in the world means nothing to God, but your thoughts - your actions - these can be transformed into a beautiful gift. What a God!

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