Conforming
One of the things that you notice reading the scriptures is that it doesn't appear that people have changed much over the centuries. Whether it is John and James asking to be at the right and left hand of Jesus when he sits on his throne. Or whether it is the disciples arguing about how great they are. People don't appear to have changed very much. We also see that when we look at the history of the Israelites. They had the same frail mind set that we do some times. Yet, though God disciplined them at times, he did not give up on them.
One of those moments is during the time of Samuel. Samuel was at the time this occurred an older man and he had two sons. His sons did not follow after the Lord like he did and were corrupt. Partly because of them the people decided they did not want Samuel's sons ruling over them. They looked around at the nations before them and decided they wanted to be like the other nations. A kind of corporate peer pressure to conform to the norms of their day. They were a little uncomfortable being different than everyone else.
They said, "Behold, you have grown old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like the nations."
When Samuel prayed to the Lord about this request of the people, the Lord said, "They have rejected Me from being a king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day- n that they have forsaken Me and served other gods- so they are doing to you also." 1 Samuel 8:8
This is what happened when we conform as believers to the world and establish a worldview that is secular. Ultimately, we are saying that we know best and rejecting the Lord and His ways. We are saying that we know better than God. The Bible warns us as believers not to fall in love with this world and its ways. It tells us to be conformed to the Spirit and not to the world. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2 Then again also in Ephesians 4:23 "And that you be renewed in the spirit of you mind."
I think this is why it is so important to get into God's Word on a daily basis. Because our minds have a tendency to conform to those around us. We don't really feel any more comfortable being different than the Israelites did thousands of years ago. So, we have to renew our minds and to dwell on the Word of God to renew our faith and our vision for what God wants for us. Without it, we cannot remain fruitful for long.
One of those moments is during the time of Samuel. Samuel was at the time this occurred an older man and he had two sons. His sons did not follow after the Lord like he did and were corrupt. Partly because of them the people decided they did not want Samuel's sons ruling over them. They looked around at the nations before them and decided they wanted to be like the other nations. A kind of corporate peer pressure to conform to the norms of their day. They were a little uncomfortable being different than everyone else.
They said, "Behold, you have grown old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like the nations."
When Samuel prayed to the Lord about this request of the people, the Lord said, "They have rejected Me from being a king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day- n that they have forsaken Me and served other gods- so they are doing to you also." 1 Samuel 8:8
This is what happened when we conform as believers to the world and establish a worldview that is secular. Ultimately, we are saying that we know best and rejecting the Lord and His ways. We are saying that we know better than God. The Bible warns us as believers not to fall in love with this world and its ways. It tells us to be conformed to the Spirit and not to the world. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2 Then again also in Ephesians 4:23 "And that you be renewed in the spirit of you mind."
I think this is why it is so important to get into God's Word on a daily basis. Because our minds have a tendency to conform to those around us. We don't really feel any more comfortable being different than the Israelites did thousands of years ago. So, we have to renew our minds and to dwell on the Word of God to renew our faith and our vision for what God wants for us. Without it, we cannot remain fruitful for long.
