Conformed

“and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,”  Romans 12:2

Conformed – In March we looked at this word.  We talked about the patterns, the schematics, that show up as sin in our lives.  Paul is clear.  We need to be insulated from these.  But I wonder if we see how deeply these patterns affect us.  I wonder if we are not like the Greeks on the hill, listening to Paul talking about the unknown god, and finding the whole concept just too preposterous because their very thoughts were corrupted by their worldview. 

Perhaps we need to ask ourselves some important questions.  Perhaps the questions are actually more important than the answers (for the time being). 

1. Is life really about being “balanced”?  Do you think that Paul and Jesus and Jeremiah and Moses and David were “balanced”?
2. Do you really feel free?  Or do you just feel that your sins have been forgiven but the rest of your life is still a heavy load?  What does it mean to be “free indeed”?
3. Are you aware of God’s immediate, intimate, active presence in everything that you do, even the “bad” stuff?  Or do you think that God just shows up when He wants to or when we call Him or on Sundays in church?
4. Do you hear God?
5. Are you confident that you are living God’s agenda?  Or do you wonder if you aren’t trying to get God to help you with yours?
6. Do people actually experience the presence of Jesus when they are around you?  If they don’t, what can it mean to say that Christ lives in me?  Did we miss something?
7. Are you afraid?  Why?
8. Are you anxious?  Why?
9. Do you think that you need to be in control?  Why?
10. Did Jesus rescue you from a horrible, traumatic, self-destructive death spiral?  Or did you only need him to fix a few things? 
11. What is the difference between repaying someone who saves your life and tipping someone who helped you make better choices?  Why do you tithe?  Do you?
12. Does God scare you?  Do you tremble in terror before Him?  Or do you treat Him more like your grandfather?  What’s the matter with Isaiah and Peter and John and Saul if God is so kind and friendly?
13. When you go to church, is there any possibility that you could even hear God whisper?  If there is so much noise and distraction that you couldn’t hear God even if He tried, why do you go?

Perhaps our conformity to the schematics of this world runs a great deal deeper than we realized.