Resisting the Urge

“Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

Once I was driving in the ridiculous traffic of the Washington D.C./Baltimore area. In a land I was quite unfamiliar with, in an area outside of my comfort zone, I was searching frantically for signs that might direct me home. Unfortunately, directly in front of my was a semi-truck that I couldn’t see around and to my immediate right was a full-sized van. Needless to say, due to my situation, I couldn’t see the signs as they arose and I passed my exit.

Life, much like the interstate, is full of distractions. Things come from every angle and attempt to grab our attention and slowly but surely guide us outside the will of our father. Relationships, friendships, peer pressure, stress; anything and everything that can play with our desires and fears to push us away from God’s plan for our life will arise and rear their ugly heads. As Christians it is our job to resist and constantly remember that it is God who is our source of purpose and that apart from Him we literally can do nothing.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he pleads with God’s beloved to resist conformation, which is in essence reacting in any situation in an un-Godlike manner. Instead of stooping to the patterns that we have been redeemed from, God desires that our minds and consciousness be elevated so that we can see his plan for our lives and walk therein. A part of dying daily is recognizing that all the distractions that arise are simply lies and that if we believe them (the lies), we are choosing to ignore our greatest desire: to be one with God.

I firmly believe that people do what they want to do most, but who doesn’t want unconditional love, peace in every storm, purpose, and everlasting joy? God’s will for our lives is perfect and is not lacking in anything. In order to realize it in our own personal lives, we must resist the urge to fit in and recognize our place as a peculiar people, a holy nation. Sure the road may be lonely at times, but we live for a higher calling, one that exceeds the present. And in order to find it, we must constantly find out what pleases our Lord.