Romans 12:2

NASB – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

NRSVUE – Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.

VOICE – Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.

What Counts as Transformation

When we talk about this world, the Bible isn’t talking about the United States in 2026 directly. The present is defined by a rebellion against God and a push of our own desires over His truth. The Roman Christian faced intense pressure to live a life of idolatry, immorality, social goals, and a loyalty that centered on the emperor. Christians must not allow the world’s values to shape how they worship, how they live, or how they view the world morally.

God produces a transformation that starts in our hearts, and shows in our daily life. The transformation is formed by Scripture, prayer, obedience to God’s commands, and the work of the Holy Spirit. These things replace the old ways we viewed life. Through our relationship with Christ, we can put our old ways away and put on our new identity – one created after God’s likeness through righteousness and holiness. This isn’t a one-time event, but a continuous life-long process that allows us to grow in knowing God and becoming like Christ. As a result, we will find spiritual discernment. We will begin to recognize what God would support and what He would reject. God’s will is good and comes from a place of wisdom and love. It honors and pleases Him, and is perfect for us because His ways lack nothing and leads us towards victory.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How have you experienced this transformation of your mind?

Ways to Find Transformation

There are things that we can do to help us transform our minds: study the Bible, pray with God, and be in community.

Studying the Bible will look different for each of us. It may be a time where we can just view the verse of the day on our phones. It may be a set time of thirty minutes that we can investigate a full book of the Bible. We may read it or we might read it, then study it, then reflect on it. The more this happens, the more you will be invited to dig deeper into Scripture. In my experience, there will be something new revealed to you no matter how many times you read the same story. The goal is create an intentional time where we can embrace the teachings of the Bible and have God apply it to us in a way that we can live it out.

Prayer with God can sound complex, and depending on how you were brought up, can sound scary. There may be moments where you were spiritually abused or that prayer may you become taken advantage of. In those moments, I want to extend my sincerest apologies. No one should ever use prayer as a way to take advantage of someone. Prayer is a vulnerable act, allowing us to break down the barriers of the world to share all the highs and lows with God. Prayer doesn’t have to be performative, shielded, or scripted. Prayer is a conversation that allows us to take off the weights that we’d been carrying lay them at His feet. God receives them without judgment, and gives us back His yoke. His yoke is light, easy to bear, and full of compassion and mercy. The goal is create a communicative path between the created and the Creator, to share all the ways that we positively reflected God’s character to the world and share all the ways that we fell short – seeking a path of reconciliation and restoration.

We were never created to live our lives alone. God wants us to be in community. All throughout the Bible, we see the story of a group of people navigate the trials of life. They saw moments of praise and celebration and saw moments of guilt and suffering. The important thing in that is that they did it together. It may be difficult for you to join a church right now. A lot of people experience church hurts from pastors, leaders, and/or different members of the congregation. These are people that we are taught are supposed to loving, kind, and merciful – and they turn out to be judgmental, prideful, and cynical. That is a very present reality, and I totally see you if you are experiencing those pains. However, I want you to see church differently. We are the church, as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us that when two or three gather in my name, Jesus is there. You don’t have to be a part of an organized religion to be in community with Christians. I encourage you to find others that you can do life with. I found my second family after experiencing hurt. Even my second family has gone through a lot of highs and lows, but every time we walk out of those moments together and in community. The goal is to find people that will encourage you, comfort you, cheer for you, share mercy for you, and love you as you deserve to be loved.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Which area is most impactful for what you need right now: studying Scripture, prayer, or community? Why?