Do Not Conform

"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

Okay, it's been over 2 months since I have written a devotion. I can say that I have been spending  lot of time in the Word so not really sure why not. However, I have been examining verses and studying the meaning of the words in the Hebrew or Greek depending on what Testament they are in. The above verse is the one that I looked at today, well part of it.

"Do not be conformed to this world..." is the part I found something interesting. Armed with the website Blue Letter Bible, which has Thayer's Greek Lexicon for definitions with the Greek meanings, which goes into detail on how the word is used in various verses, I examined this short portion. I looked up the words "conformed" and "world". Conformed, in this verse, means to conform one's self to another's pattern. World, in this verse, means men controlled by the thoughts and pursuits of this present time.

I know most who read or quote this verse focus on the world part, and rightly so. Many people, Christians included, are not as careful about what influences they allow in their lives as they should. Movies, TV shows, books, activities, well almost all areas of life have worldly influences that we buy into too easily. I know there have been things I have had to give up because I felt that I was allowing influences in that were worldly.

I was struck more by the word conform and its definition. I know the focus is about not conforming to the world, but I took the meaning to an even more personal level. There are things I don't like about myself, pretty much like everyone else, and I tend to focus on them. I see others who don't have the same flaws, or at least don't seem to, and I want to be like them. I start to think more like them, act more like them, and become less me.

This verse reminds me that I am suppose to be careful to be me. God created me to be me, the me He created. I might have many flaws, but I also have many positives. He has given me talents and a personality that make me special. He has given me gifts and a purpose that I need to walk out to help others and bring Him glory. Conforming me to be like someone else or the world makes me someone else, and I need to be His girl, flaws and fabulousness. (That's my word!)