August 10-August 16

Do Not Be Conformed, But Be Transformed
Eric McPherson
St. Louis, Missouri

In Romans 12, Paul tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. We can set ourselves apart by thinking differently from the world. One of the many great gifts that Jesus gave us was a different perspective. He was amazingly different because he thought so radically different from those around him. We won’t be radically different from the world by where we go, what we wear, or the things that we do. We can be radically different by how we think. How we think about this life, ourselves, our God, and our place in this world can stand out to others. Out of that flows everything else. Christ said, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

One of the ways that we can think differently can best be represented by this simple formula, < = >. Remember this equation from elementary school? It is the less than, equal to, and greater than symbols. Jesus was always equal to. So many of us spend our lives being “less than” or “greater than” when comparing ourselves to other people. Jesus never felt less than Pilate or greater than a prostitute. It didn’t matter who he was speaking to, he always felt equal to them. If we feel “less than”, then we feel envy towards the other. If we feel “greater than”, then we feel pity towards the other. Both of those attitudes are wrong. We might look at a poor, starving child in an undeveloped country with pity, and feel lucky that we are not them. This is a “greater than” position, and it is wrong. We might look at someone who has won the lottery with envy, and feel unfortunate, forgotten, and disappointed that we are not them. This is a “less than” position, and it is wrong. In either example, we are feeling more fortunate or less fortunate than someone else. Are there times when you look at someone and feel either way? Both pity and envy are opposite ends of the same unhealthy spectrum.

Jesus lived on a different spectrum. He wanted us to be equal to. We should feel comfortable around anyone, never feeling “greater than” or “less than”. If we look to ourselves and the God that lives in us and not look to others for how we should feel about ourselves, then we can live equal to. If we live “equal to”, then we can do what Paul encouraged us to do in Romans 12:14-21. We can “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep”. We can “Be of the same mind toward one another”, and “not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly”. We can live at peace with all men, not seek revenge, and overcome evil with good. We can feel compassion for the less fortunate child, and seek to help. We can feel joy for those who are more blessed than us, and feel content. Let us seek to meet the challenge that Christ laid out before us and be equal to.

[Eric McPherson is a Counselor and Development Officer for Christian Family Services in St. Louis, Missouri. Eric graduated from Harding University with a degree in Pyschology in 1988. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a master's degree in professional counseling from Lindenwood University. He has 9 years of experience with CFS and 6 1/2 years of experience in full-time youth ministry. Eric is married with three children.]