Exchanging “stuff” For The Substance Of God

Exchanging “Stuff” For The Substance Of God

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but 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 and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

We often think of peer pressure as something that happens to our kids, but there are just as many adults who feel pressured to conform to other people’s standards. We want the upper-middle-class American Dream of a bigger house, a newer car, and photos from the hottest vacation spots to post on social media. Not only do we want to keep up with the Joneses, we want to surpass them.

Conforming to the ways of others may be as subtle as living in a neighborhood with building codes and mandated color palettes or as monstrous as shared opinions about discrimination or racism. We want to be a part of the “in” group, and we’ll do what everyone else is doing to make it happen. Unfortunately, groupthink isn’t always the smartest way to think.

God wants us to do our best and enjoy his world. However, if our beliefs and actions are inspired by our desires to keep up with our neighbors rather than honoring God, we might need to rethink our motivation.

God wants us to renew our minds to see and experience the world as he does. When we do, we begin to understand and love others who are different from us. We appreciate diversity in people and nature. The world blossoms and grows more beautiful. We recognize our place as a small part of a much bigger plan.

When God transforms us, our desires will conform to his desires, and our eyes will see the world through the same lens of grace that he uses to see us. Instead of worrying about what the Joneses have, we’ll only want more of what God is freely offering.

TODAY’S RX

Be a nonconformist; instead of looking at your neighbors’ stuff, spend time with God in nature admiring all that he has created for us.

Lord, I confess that it’s easy to focus on what I lack and forget about all I’ve been blessed with. Help me to not lose sight of the many gifts you’ve given me, but to appreciate them and use them for your honor.