Don’t Conform. Be Transformed!
By Rick Warren
“Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God” (Romans 12:2a GNT).
You have two choices in life. You’ll either be conformed or transformed.
There’s no middle ground.
Just ask Daniel.
Daniel faced a choice. Either he could take the king’s food and be conformed to the ways of the Babylonian Empire, or he could refuse to defile his body and stay true to his values.
Daniel stayed strong. He never forgot who he was. He said, “You can change my address. You can change my clothing. You can change my name. But you’re not going to change my heart. I won’t be conformed to the ways of this society.”
Too many of us choose differently than Daniel did. Instead of sticking to our values, we live like everyone else. We conform.
But the Bible reminds us, “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God” (Romans 12:2a GNT).
I talk to people all the time who can’t figure out what God wants them to do with their lives because they’re conformed to the world. They’re more interested in being like everyone else than in being the unique person that God made them to be. As long as you’re worried about conforming, you won’t worry about God transforming you. And in that case, you won’t know the will of God.
But if you make Daniel’s choice and choose God’s best for your life, he’ll transform you. Then you’ll know the will of God.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over:
Where in your life are you most likely to conform to the world around you, and why?
What practices in your life help you work with God to transform your mind so you don’t conform to the world?
How are you more clearly understanding God’s will for your life as you let him transform your mind?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Unshakeable! Study Kit
You Can Thrive In Every Circumstance
Do you want to thrive in every circumstance? In the Bible, Daniel and his friends rose to top positions of leadership because they were unshakeable in their faith even though they were surrounded by a corrupt culture. Today, the world’s value system increasingly drifts further from God. To thrive, no matter what, you need to dive into scripture and learn how to be unshakeable in your faith.
In the 9-part DVD study kit, Unshakable: Thriving No Matter What Hits You, Pastor Rick helps you walk through scripture and learn how to …
• Stand strong when your world is shaken
• Stay firm when your pressured to conform
• Be bold when your beliefs are belittled
• Be confident when you’re asked to do the impossible
• Stay cool when the heat is on
The Unshakable study kit is our way to thank you for your gift below to help take Daily Hope to more people – so request yours when you give. And thanks for your partnership!
This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
