Freshman Reorientation

Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” A conformer is someone who goes along with established thoughts and doctrines with no pushback. A transformer is someone who changes the already accepted way of thought. As Christians, we need to be transformers, not conformers. A conformer will go along with the ways of the world without thought to the Bible’s intentions for us. A transformer, first, is changed by God and renewed by reading the Bible, praying, asking for wisdom, and searching for wise counsel from fellow believers. A transformer is obedient to the Lord in all things, especially the hard things. A Christian transformer doesn’t change for their own desires, instead, they change to honor God and His desires for His children. The start of being a transformer is renewing your mind to the Lord’s teachings. You will start to believe what you consume, so focus on consuming media, books, and teachings that align with the Bible. The enemy will use anything to turn transformers into conformers. I get it, you want to watch that show or read that book in order to be a part of the conversations around you. You might feel like a big weirdo for not knowing the pop culture and being unaware of the newest movie craze, but it is far better to be left out of a conversation than consume something that will pollute your mind to the lies of the world and take your sight off of Jesus. Then, you may go out and transform our already-conformed world to honor and glorify God.
A perfect example of transformers in the Bible are Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found in Daniel 1:8-16. These Jewish men were living in the pagan Babylonian kingdom under the ruler Nebuchadnezzar and were expected to eat the food presented to them. However, under the Jewish law given to Moses, there were certain foods that were unclean that they would not eat to show their devotion to God. So, Daniel and his three friends were determined not to eat the unclean food in order to remain under the laws God had given the Jewish people. As they went to the chief of the eunuchs, God softened his heart and prompted him to make a deal with them. For ten days, they would be given only water and vegetables to see if their strength left them. At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his friends were healthier and stronger than any of the other king's men who were eating the unclean food. As a result, they were able to bring glory and honor to God, and God blessed them with wisdom and the ability to understand literature and Daniel was also able to understand and interpret dreams. When we remain firm in our faith and do not conform to the world's ideas, God will provide blessings and use us to glorify Him and His kingdom. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not conform to the king’s desires for food but transformed the thoughts of the chief of the eunuchs by bringing glory and honor to God through obeying His commands. They would not have been able to transform the thoughts of the chief if they were not, first, living their lives for the Lord.
In order to be a transformer you must first obey the commands and teachings God has given you by constantly working against your sin and renewing your mind daily on the truth of God’s word by studying the Bible. Every aspect of our lives must align with the Lord, even if it seems like it’s not a big deal. If God said it, it’s a big deal. A transformer doesn’t “go with the flow,” a transformer breaks the flow.