Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.
Into the Text
Just as a caterpillar undergoes a metamorphosis to become a stunning creature of beauty, we, too, can experience transformation in our lives when we allow the Word of God to surround our hearts and minds and change us from the inside out. When God transforms our hearts and minds with His truth, He makes us more like Christ. We become more loving, more forgiving, and more full of grace.
I know the pressure our culture puts on us to conform to its standards of beauty, success, and worth. It’s easy to fall into the trap of conforming to the world’s standards if we are not alert, but as daughters of the King, we are called to a higher purpose. We are called to be set apart. We are in the world, but we are not of it.
Allowing God’s Word to have authority in our lives shapes our thoughts, actions, and responses. We don’t see the world as we once used to. Instead, we are given a new and better viewpoint, a higher viewpoint than what we once had. As we do this, we find freedom, joy, and purpose in our lives, no matter the circumstances we face or what comes our way. We know the best is yet to come. So we willingly live lives of sacrifice and service, knowing this world is not our home, nor is it the end; we are just passing through.
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Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Word. Please renew our minds daily as we immerse ourselves in Your truth so that we may be transformed into the image of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.