Romans 12: 1-2 J B Phillips paraphrase. “With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”
I think that J B Phillips, in his paraphrase of this short passage succinctly captures Paul’s concept in a contemporary fashion. “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within.” Other translations put Paul’s ideas in just as helpful ways; here are just a two.
Eugene Peterson in the Message writes, “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking”
The Living Bible paraphrase puts it this way, “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think.”
Each gives a different facets of the one truth. Don’t let yourself be squeezed, take care not to become well-adjusted to our culture and don’t replicate the behaviours and customs of the world around us.
When an individual or a congregation has the attitude of compromise in regard to spiritual values and truths, dark days are ahead. All who strive to be Christians feel a certain amount of pressure from the world. Through the strength that Christ gives, we can overcome the world and its temptations.
A man starting a fish business put out his sign that read, "Fresh Fish For Sale Today" and invited all to visit his place of business on opening day. Many came and congratulated him on his new business, but one suggested that he change his sign. "Why the ’Today’? It is today." So he removed the "Today".
Someone else said, "Why, ’For Sale’? Everybody knows you have fish for sale--or else why the store?" The words "For Sale" came off the sign.
Another said, "Why the word ’Fresh’? You are a man of integrity, that guarantees your fish to be fresh." "Fresh" came off the sign.
Only one word was left, "Fish" and one complained about it. "I smelled your fish two blocks away."
The individual or congregation that tries to satisfy everybody ends up by pleasing nobody. If we start compromising, we will end up serving not able to be true to our calling. The man should have put up his sign and then stood by it. This is what we are to do in life. Accept God’s will for our lives and stand on His promises even if it call us to be living sacrifices.
A Prayer
God of Grace, you call us to be different from the world,
but the world is seductive, and so we come here to be strengthened.
God of Vision, you hold before us an alternate way of life,
different priorities, different loyalties, different values.
But we know that the world is not only seductive but powerful,
and so we are drawn in to following its priorities,
accepting its values, showing loyalty to its gods.
God who blesses the meek, the peacemakers, the merciful,
forgive us when we lose sight of these qualities,
when we misunderstand their role in the world. Amen
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