Romans 12:2

 Romans 12:2

What is the will of God? That is a big question for every Christian who takes their faith seriously. We are not our own; we belong to God, and pleasing Him is the reason for our lives. When we face big questions that can shape the rest of our lives we wrestle with getting it right. Romans 12:2b says, “That you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”.

Paul starts out by saying, “Do not be conformed to this world.”. That word conformed is used to describe how our clay would be shaped when it was pressed by a signet ring or seal. The clay responding to outside pressure takes the shape and appearance of the force working on it. Paul continues that we should be transformed. That word is used to describe that change that appeared when Jesus was transfigured on the mount. The real character that was cloaked and was there all along came out. This avoiding of being conformed to the world while our holy spiritual nature is manifested occurs by the renewing of our mind.

The renewing of the mind is not a wild mystical experience but rather something that happens as we pay attention to the details of our moral life. Change, either positive or negative, doesn’t happen in gigantic leaps but rather in many tiny compromises. By paying attention to the little things and choosing the right little things, we find that, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, our minds are renewed. This is simply spiritual maturity working itself out over many decisions. The truth is expressed in the the redundant-sounding saying: “The more we think like Christ, the more we think like Christ.”.

The longer we do this, the more habit-forming it becomes. When we make 100s of little choices to do what is right and holy and pure, those choices just become more apt to be made. The believer who has staunchly been honest with pennies and nickels will not rob a bank or defraud a widow. A Christian who never tells little lies will not spin a web of deception. The habit of holiness doesn’t happen automatically and is a lifelong pursuit and work, but when a decision has to be made, the default setting is to do the right thing.

So how do I know the will of God about big life shaping choices or any other decision for that matter? It is not like going to an oracle and asking a question. It is the conviction that comes from a life of living in cooperation with the Holy Spirit in doing right. When the time comes, you just know, because you have done it all along. 

“Lord, help me to be trained in Your will in every detail, so that in the big choices I will know Your mind.” AMEN