Are You a Reformer or Conformer?

Mea e 'ai e tatau ma le aso

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2)

Christians must resist the pressure to conform to their environment.  Christians are called to “not conform any longer to the pattern of this world” with its behavior and customs that are usually self-centered, selfish and often corrupting.

Many Christians have already wisely decided that worldly behavior is off-limits for them.  Their refusal to conform to this world’s values, however, must go even deeper than behavior and customs—it must be firmly grounded in our minds—“be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

However, it is possible to avoid most worldly customs and still be proud, selfish, stubborn, and arrogant, like Lot.

“Get out of our way,” they replied. And they said, “This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.”
In this story, they kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. (Genesis 19:9)

Christian believers should not let their social environment shape their lives.   Lot had lived so long and so contented among ungodly people that he was no longer a believable witness for God. 

He had allowed his environment to shape him, rather than him, armed with God's biblical truths shaping his environment.  He played along, to get along.

Do those who know you see you as a witness for God, or are you just one of the crowd, blending in unnoticed?  Are you a noticeable visible witness for Jesus, or have you quietly compromised your Christian duty?

Lot had compromised to the point that he was almost useless to God. When he finally made a stand, nobody would listened to him.  Have you become useless to God because you are too much like your environment?

To make a difference, you must first decide to be different in your own faith and conduct and express it in your lifestyle.  Only when we allow the Holy Spirit to renew, reeducate, and redirects our mind,  are we truly transformed, to be the reformers we were called to be.

Ia manuia,

failauga p. anoa'i