Life Is Shaped By Our Thoughts

In summary of Romans 12:2 it says, “Don’t be like others and copy the behavior and customs of this world, but instead let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good, pleasing and perfect.”

Bottom Line:
Don’t become so adjusted to this culture and it’s way of thinking that you fit into and copy what it does without even thinking.  Instead let God transform you into someone new by changing the way you think.  Then you’ll be readily able to recognize what he wants you to do, which is in line with what he has planned for us to do.

What this means to me:
This verse tells me that I am not to blindly follow the behavior, customs and culture of this world.  Instead I need to conscientiously allow God working in my life to transform my thinking and make me into a new person.  If I do, then I’ll be able to recognize what he wants and has planned for me to do.   It is very easy for me to become adjusted to the culture around me (TV, News and prominent cultural thinking) that I begin to fit in and adopt it without even thinking about it. Current culture can drag me down to it’s level of maturity (it’s all about me and self satisfaction, being able to do what I want.)  God and his ways will bring the best out of me and develop a well formed maturity.  I cannot become all God has created me to be until I understand the factors that influence who I am (my identity.)  Part of these factors are how I’m made and the relationships around me.  I am an end product of the way God created me and all of the relationships he has surrounded me with.  I can also be influenced by my circumstances (things that happen to and around me) and my consciousness (how I speak to myself.)  My thoughts can be filled with lies I’ve heard around me from the influences in the culture around me.  When I dwell and think on these things or just not control or filter what comes in, they can go deeper and deeper and begin to shape my identity.  I need to be careful because much of my life can be shaped by my thoughts.  While circumstances around me may be out of my control, I need to remember God is in control of everything.  I can trust him to work out things for his benefit and my growth.  My thoughts can shape who I am and change the way I think, so I need to be careful in how I respond to circumstances.  I need to think today about how I respond to difficult situations, circumstances and relationships.  Am I trusting God or am I trying to handle it on my own or with worldly thinking.  I need to keep close in a daily time with God so that I can keep my mind refreshed with God’s truth and not the stuff of this world that is so prevalent.