August 14: Romans 12:1-2
Key Verse: Romans 12:2
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.
Devotion:
How do you react when people do things for you? Do you say thank you? Do you do things for them in return? Well, think on that a bit more… God is in control of this world – by Him everything exists and continues to exist. When we look at it, we receive things from God every day, constantly – yet how do we react? All we are, all we have, all we can do is all because of Him. After all He has done for us, is anything not acceptable to do for Him? After all He has done for us, is it not our reasonable service to do something for Him… anything…
Whilst we continue to live on this world, it is very difficult to let go of the ways of the world and even the things which surround us. It is very difficult to stand up for something which goes against the worldly ways – unless we are tempted to do something strange! How easily we give in to the temptations and yet how we reject being different to do the right thing! We are so caught up in things surrounding us, so caught up in the past and even the present that we grasp all we can and live our lives according to all we see and feel only.
When we become Christians we need to let go of the world as it is. Let go of our old ways which have lead us to do the things we did. Let go of the past that we have created in our old ways. Our greatest problem is probably the fact we conform our lives to the world and not to Christ. The world is not with God – why should we continue to do things to satisfy the world?
I’m not saying we should simply forget about everything we have done. God does not want us to do that because He has allowed us to walk the path we have so far for a reason. We need to embrace our past experience so we can learn exactly what we have done. By doing so we can know the way of the world; but by embracing God we can also know the way of God. With those two ways in hand we can then choose the right path which is our reasonable reaction for everything that He has already done for us!
Points to Ponder:
Do you think that nothing can change the way that you are?
Have you let God have a go in your life?