Your Moment at the Well
The Lord’s insight. As the world goes, let it go.
Romans 12:2: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
1 Corinthians 9:22: “To the weak, I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”
The Pope and the President got into a little spat a few weeks ago. This made me wonder. Who is winning the battle for the world? Is the church winning the people or are the people winning the church? Is the message of the church transforming people or are the ways of the people transforming the church?
Romans 12:2 is telling us that as believers we should not run as the world runs. We should not turn as the world turns. We should not go as the world goes. But we should be transformed in who we are. In this way, the world has a chance to see the thing of God that is different and that can save us from ourselves.
So, I ask? Are the minds of the believers being transformed by the world or are believers by their transformation, sticking with the Word of God and by doing so, we are proof of the good, acceptable and perfect Will of God?
God means us no harm. God wants to keep us from harm. This is one reason He wants us to change our thinking. He doesn’t want us running on our own thinking trying to change the world around us from what He says to what we say.
Yet, in 1 Corinthians 9:22, some believers will say Paul is saying he decided to be like the people of the world so that he can win some to Christ. But is that what Paul means? The scripture on the surface makes no sense. If I am a drunkard, I don’t think Paul is saying he would become a drunkard so that he could win me to Christ and to sobriety.
If I am a drunkard, why would I believe you, another drunkard, about anything but having another drink? Clearly, we must look deeper. Paul is not saying he would affirm sin so that he could win you to repentance. That would make no sense. If we affirm sin as normal, people will never accept that their behavior is sin.
Paul wrote both these scriptures. Is there a conflict then? No there is not. Perhaps when we look to Romans a little deeper, we will find that Paul is saying if you are poor and in need, he would come to you as being poor and in need himself so that he could win you by showing you how to depend on the Lord.
Believers ought never to turn as the world turns, believing that as we do this will lead some people to change their ways. The church doesn’t need to get a tattoo so that those who have tattoos will feel accepted in the church. The church doesn’t need to wear tight fitting leggings so that those who want to wear leggings to church will feel comfortable doing that at the church.
We cannot go as the world goes. We must let the things of the world go their way and we must stand for and represent God’s way. We can say and demonstrate that we are like the world in that we have things we want to hold onto, but we are unlike the world in that we know we can let go of those things so we can take hold of all the good acceptable things the Will of God has waiting for us.
So, if the world is unbelieving in some ways, don’t affirm that unbelief in yourself thinking you can change the world. Affirm what the Lord has asked us to affirm. Stand as an example of one who was weak but now you are strong. As one who was poor but now you are rich. As one who dressed to please themselves, but now as one who dresses so as not to be a distraction to others.
What is this but now? Now that you know the Love of God and that His will for us is always good and pleasing and acceptable. The believer and the church do not need to look like the people of the community. The believer and the church should look like people from the community, transformed by the Love of God into something that is good for the community.
As the world goes, let it go. As the Lord leads, let’s be quick to follow.
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