Romans 12: 1-2

Rachel Nixon

Recently I've been meeting a lot of new people through various situations; coming out of my comfort zone of a group of close knit friends I, the usually introverted person have become quite the extrovert! This got me to thinking about a few things, namely, who we are in our own eyes and God's and the idea of change or transformation of character.

I've been noticing in newspapers and on TV how people (no doubt myself included) make allowances for behaviour based on personality traits that are believed to be unchangeable: 'It's just the way I am' or 'I can't help it, I've got a bad temper' etc. It's almost as if we act in a certain way perhaps not knowing why and resign ourselves that way forever, even if it's negative. This got me thinking and I reckon we have a choice.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern 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: 1-2)

It's an obvious passage to use when talking about change and transformation. It's interesting that Paul doesn't say you must be transformed, you must renew you're mind. It's the perfect example of choice. We can choose to allow God into our lives or choose not too. I'm sure this is an obvious statement of freewill yes, but I think we so often understand it in our head but we don't truly 'get it'.

We forgo who God would have us be in place for our own choices and way of thinking. We can choose to surrender our mind, personality, thinking to God or not. Our part isn't always the easiest though; often it's sometimes easier to stick to one way of thinking even if it hurts you, rather than working through it with God. It's almost as if we like the safety net. So I guess I'd like to challenge us, me included; to this whole idea of choice:

We have a choice to let our past decisions and way of thinking affect us or we can submit to God.

Ask yourself the following questions...

What am I holding onto that's keeping me from moving on?
What's keeping me at a distance from God?

What are those things where we say: 'I can't help it? It's just who I am'?

I think that if it's holding you back or hurting you (or others), it's not 'who you are' and not who God would have you be, ask him. Even traits that we think good, might not be who God would have us be.

So I'm undecided whether I'm introvert or extrovert! But God knows the best me to be. And it's not a game of deception or a secret game God wants us to work out. I think he just wants us to want him. He wants us to stay close to him and let him transform us to be the best version we can be rather than a second rate version on our own.

"The key to every man is his thought. Sturdy and defying though he look, he has a helm which he obeys, which is the idea after which all his facts are classified. He can only be reformed by showing him a new idea which commands his own." (R.W. Emerson)

Choose God, endeavour to stay close to him and let his ideas for you refom your thoughts.