Romas 12:2. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
I have been thinking a lot about the difference between conformative faith versus transformative faith the last few weeks, and how that difference drives your actions in daily life. And this verse has been stuck in my head as I considered what type of faith I have, and how I put it into action.
The prefix trans comes from Latin and means beyond or through. So to transform means to go beyond your current condition into a new state of being. The prefix con, on the other hand, also from Latin, means together or with. Thus, to conform, means that you join together with others in a cohesive group.
Neither state is inherently bad. We need some conformity, of course, to have a well run society. We must agree on rules, or we will have a total breakdown and anarchy will prevail. We also need innovation and new ideas for progress to happen, so some transformation is also necessary. The balance is the tricky part.
The problem comes when we allow our comfort with our current condition to drive our willingness to step outside the existing boundaries of our understanding, when we become unwilling to challenge our own comfortable patterns, even when we have a sneaking feeling we may be on the wrong track, or worse yet, when we allow someone else to lead us down the wrong road because "everyone else" is on that road, too. Conforming to a faith that is set by someone else's rules is exactly what Niemoeller was talking about in his Come For Me poem. Majority rules doesn't work for a living faith that is constantly battling the pattern and power of the world's corruption.
What does it mean, then to transform in our faith? How do we do that? What does it take? That is something I have been pondering a lot lately. I don't think most people really want to transform. Its uncomfortable. To go beyond means to leave behind, doesn't it? It means giving up something. It means changing. It means growing. It means doing things differently, learning, maybe even admitting that you were wrong before. Ugh. I don't know about you, but I hate being wrong. But, I am a life long learner, and when I know better, I do try to do better, and that is true in my faith, as well.
I have watched a lot of people put their faith into action over the last months in Minnesota, and it has been humbling. Whether they are feeding the homeless or working with the immigrant community or protesting or buying Christmas gifts for the disadvantaged or donating to charities or whatever, people have joyfully followed what God has directed them to do in a purposeful way to help others and love others in a concrete way. I saw someone slide off the road the other night and several cars stop to help push them back on the road again, not because they had to, but because its the right thing to do. We donate to food shelves so people can eat, no matter what else is happening. GoFundMe works because people are touched by the human conditions revealed, even by strangers on the internet. I see that as transformative faith in action, and the recipients are touched by angels, whether they realize it or not.
Jesus transformed faith in dramatic fashion. He tore up the rule book and started over, so to speak. He literally said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 His message of love and reconciliation was new and radical and totally revolutionary. I don't think I was called to do anything new and radical and revolutionary at this point in my life. But I do think I have to think harder about what I can do to transform my faith each day to go beyond where it is, instead of conform to my worn, comfortable patterns that don't really fit me, and which aren't leading to God's will but towards the world's.
And I challenge. you to do the same. How can you challenge yourself to transform your faith? What is God's will for your life? Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. But you have to take the action for anything to happen.
No comments:
Post a Comment