Of A Different Spirit

Ephesians 4:17-24

Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. (Ephesians 4:24)

THE WORLD IS FULL OF CONFORMISTS: idealists whose disillusionment turns them into cynical realists; honest politicians who eventually embrace the culture of dishonesty so common in their profession; ministers whose spiritual vision gets lost beneath the business model of their churches; lovers of eternal truth who eventually buy into the lies of immediate gratification. The issue is bigger than weak wills and a tendency to compromise. It’s an inability to overcome the prevailing spirit or ethos of a culture.

The truth is that we are all called to be conformists, but of a different sort—not those armed only with strong willpower and determination, though those character traits certainly help, but those who carry a Spirit who is greater than any contrary spirit of the age. In an environment of hate, we are to demonstrate love. In an atmosphere of lust and greed, we are to keep our hearts and minds pure. In a climate of fear, we are to insist on being completely at rest. We are, after all, created to be like God. If we’re going to conform to something or someone other than ourselves, we might as well set our sights on the best.

You are a carrier of a different kind of spirit and an example of a different way. Go into your world today with the nature of God and refuse to adapt to any other nature. You will encounter pride, greed, judgment, fear, and more, but you must not adapt to them. In subtle ways, you will be tempted by the culture of the workplace or marketplace to become cynical, anxious, selfish, or manipulative, but these no longer fit your nature. You bear the essence of God, and it is stronger than any of your former ways. Greater is the one who is in you than anything or anyone else in the world (1 John 4:4). In every situation, resist the pressure and live out the truth of your new nature.

{Father, you have put your own power and promise within me, and I’m tired of settling for less. May the unyielding light of heaven never be obscured by the circumstances and people around me. Remind me constantly of who I really am. Amen.