“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.”
-Romans 12:2

This subject of renewal has been on my mind, and I have paid careful attention to it lately when reading through scripture.  It is a radical concept when you think about it, and it’s one I’ve taken for granted, to my own hurt.  The renewal of the mind, patterned after the thoughts of Christ, means the unlearning of every habit we’ve formed according to worldly wisdom.  Trying to visualize it, I picture cloth being torn from its seams.  The renewal of the mind isn’t changing your thoughts but changing the very way you think.

I recently read a very convicting statement from John Piper in which he asked why (if they don’t) doesn’t the world ask us about the hope we have in us (1 Peter 3:15)?  The answer must be that it looks to them like we’re hoping in the same things they are.  So simple.  So profound.  That got me thinking: what does it look like to be a Christian living in America in the 21st century?  In what areas am I called to excel in non-conformity?  No culture is fully compliant in its values with scripture.  So what are the points of divergence for me?  In what area of my life am I living notably different?  In what area of my life can it be said that my pattern of thinking differs?  Or to put it another way, what are some things in my life that show others I’m hoping in the same things they are?

America is a very materialistic culture.  Am I living with a renewed mind?  Am I living in a way that shows others that Jesus is more precious to more than anything else?  The harder question is this: HOW?  To be a Christian in any culture on this planet is to sacrifice.  What have I sacrificed in the realm of material possessions?  I currently work in a retail environment, where you love to hate your customers for causing you the slightest annoyance and then talk about them to your co-workers.  How does the mind renewed by Christ manifest itself in a retail store?  Am I exemplifying a spirit who is patient, kind, and fair?  Do I pray for those who are rude to me?  What is the point at which I differ?

The difference is everything, because the difference is the Jesus others are meant to see.  If I’m living just like the world, the world will see no validation in my gospel.  But more importantly, if I’m living just like the world, I can’t see validation of my faith.  So who is Jesus to me really?  This refreshing reminder has caused me to re-evaluate my life, and how I spend my time.  I have become so lax in my standards when it comes to my choice of entertainment, particularly some of the things I watch.  Looking back over the last year, I have justified so much on the basis of how funny it was.  What that sounds like is: “Oh man it’s so wrong, but it’s so funny.”  Saying this now, I hear it for the ridiculousness it is.  What do I filter if not these things?

It’s been a long time since I’ve really watched “Friends,” but I think it serves as a perfect catalyst of what I’m talking about here.  I watched it all through high school and well into the beginnings of my walk with Christ.  I’ve conversed with so many fellow Christians who can be described as fanatics.  But I would ask those people, as I had to sit back and ask myself: do you notice anything wrong with “Friends”?  If I could pinpoint one thing it would be promiscuity.  Not only is it scattered profusely throughout the show but very frequently, mostly through Joey’s character, it is the fuel for humor.  Think about that.  And now think about this…

The Christian divorce rate in this country is as high as the divorce rate among secular marriages.  What’s the point of difference there?  We are called to be transformed by the renewal of our minds and to not be conformed to the patterns of this world.  But when you look at this statistic, who does it appear is influencing who?  Jesus tells us that we are lights in the world, but unless we are transformed the world will be OUR light.  If the American Church’s divorce rate is 50%, something is askew in our understanding of relationships.*  I feel it would be naive for those of us believers who spent years immersed in “Friends” to believe it didn’t rub off on us some.

I’m not putting the blame on Christian divorces on “Friends.”  There’s a huge number of contributors.  I’m just using it as an example.  I’m not even condemning the show per se as much as I am the extent of devotion it has received from many Christians over the years.  The goal is to keep its negative influences (or any show’s for that matter) at bay.  And that’s going to look different for different people.  Some episodes of the show are fine, so maybe for some, renewal of the mind means limiting yourself to those episodes.  Some might want to forgo the show altogether, and that’s fine too.  The point of this isn’t to make lists of shows you can or can’t watch or episodes of a certain show that are permissable.  The focus here is on the heart.  What are the sacrifices you have made?

We must sit back and reflect.  What are the values of our own culture?  Am I standing against the tide or going with it?  Paul warns us against being taken captive by philosophy and empty deceit which is according to human tradition and not according to Christ (Colossians 2:8).  With so many Christian marriages ending in divorce, it is time to aggresively re-evaluate how we approach relationships.  While we are taught that feelings are king, God tells us to pattern husband/wife relationships after Christ’s love for the church, in which he gave himself up for it (Ephesians 5).  Be renewed.  I just read an article in Christianity Today which chronicled the pitiful amount of money that Christians give.  The early church was known by its hospitality and generosity.  But when our giving is as miniscule as 1-2%, how we handle our finances not only ceases to be evidence we can point to Christ’s transformative power, it could even point into the opposite direction.  It has been well said that you can fake a lot, but you can’t fake what your checkbook reveals.  Practical life lesson: look at what you’re spending your money on.  I can’t think of a more definite revelation of our ultimate priorities.

Where the Church is living as it should, the world takes notice.  But here in America, too many of us are so similar to the people around us that we blend in.  Ultimately our values direct our lives, so if our lives are statistically the same as unbelievers, our values also are the same and we are seen to be hypocrites, the sin that Jesus vehemently lashed out against.  We must renounce worldly principles and follow Jesus, and this begins in the heart.  It begins with the renewal of the mind resulting in a completely different way of thinking of and living in the world.  If you have indeed been raised with Christ, then seek the things above, where he is.  Stop seeking the things of this earth.  Stop entertaining yourself to death and confront the realities of this world.  Where Christ is, there our minds must be.

It all begins in the heart, and that is something only God can change.  If you have been risen with Christ, you have been given a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27).  Pray to him that he may awaken that new heart where it has grown dull and restore your affections for him.  Also I encourage everyone to start thinking creatively.  Once again, how we seperate ourselves from the mindset of the world will differ from culture to culture.  What are the values of present-day America and at what points do they differ from Christ?  And how can you choose him in those areas and magnify him by doing so?

If we are not exemplifying the beauty of a life lived without the things we condemn, to the world we will only appear as obnoxious children who try to ruin everyone else’s fun because we aren’t having any of our own.  And these are the children who get ignored by other kids.  The Christian ultimately isn’t doing anything the world doesn’t do when he forgoes lesser desires to pursue the greater ones.  Everyone sacrifices anything that hinders them from attaining that which they most cherish.  So to live differently, Christ must be what we cherish most (see Psalm 42:1-2, Psalm 73:25, Psalm 63:3).  This is why we renounce the world, so that we may pursue Christ.  It’s not about making lists of do’s or don’ts.  It’s about finding what helps us pursue and gain Jesus, and when we do, we will look at the lesser pleasures we have forsaken and say “I have sacrificed nothing.”

To be trained as a disciple is ultimately the changing of the heart and finding outlets to unleash those desires into the world.  In short, it is living differently.  It is living like Jesus.  Much of modern discipleship however succeeds only in one of these things.  Jesus saves us and gives us new hearts.  But finding the outlets to unleash this new life often goes untapped, leading us to be everything I’ve talked about: not different.  Some thoughts on how we have failed in this will be the subject of the next entry.

*Incidentally, one of the best, most scriptural books I’ve read concerning the renewed mindset toward relationships is Joshua Harris’ book I Kissed Dating Goodbye.  I don’t know if it is the silly title or what, but I frequently hear this book not being taken seriously whenever it comes up in conversation.  Sometimes the mere mention of it is met with patronizing laughs.  But I have yet to hear an honest, biblical critique of the book.  I’ve yet only heard objections based on the very thing Paul warns us of living by: cultural values.  Being renewed in mind doesn’t mean slapping “JESUS” onto worldly living.  We must catch a clue in the area of relationships and realize that if we are to be a light to the world regarding marriage, we cannot approach it the same way it does.  It will inherently look different.