The title of this post is from Romans 12:2, which goes on to say, “…that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” It is also preceded by, “Do not conform yourselves to this age…”
Do Not Conform
By following Christ, we are doing something radical. It is a different way to live, with different motivations, a different vision, a different path, and different outcomes. We cannot become part of the crowd but must stand apart – holy, “God’s very own possession.” (1 Peter 2:9) Conformity to this age means rebellion against God. If we conform to God, then, we are rebelling against this age. He becomes our focus, our purpose now becomes heaven-bound, our lives are no longer ours, but belong to Him, the one who made us and loves us and calls us His children.
Be Transformed
Transformation implies there is a change, as the butterfly is no longer a lowly caterpillar but a beautiful, skyward creature, we must slough off the old skin to become a new creation in Christ. “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) We no longer scurry around, filling our bellies, not noticing anything above us. We have died to ourselves through Baptism and are washed clean from the stains of sin, to live a new life, to float above it all, no longer crawling, but flying!
Renew Your Mind
What is it that gives man strength to overcome his old ways, his habitual sins? St. Augustine, no stranger to sin, has this encouragement: “Watch over yourself, and you will soon be corrected. …If you try today it will be easier to restrain it tomorrow. If your victory is not complete tomorrow, you will find that, by the efforts you made yesterday, your task is less difficult.” The intellect must provide proper motivation for the will to conform. Colossians 3:2 says, “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” The caterpillar has no idea what is above – it only sees what is right in front of it. The butterfly, however, the image of Christian living, soars upward, with its vision on things above, and it is free to fly away from the wretchedness of its previous existence.
Discern God’s Will
If you’re spending your time focusing on things above, and fighting against your sins, you will be disposed to discover God’s will for your life. “In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) There are many places in Holy Scripture that state what is God’s will for us, but I chose this one because it is very specific, is repeated in various forms over and over, and is a form of praise to God. Our lives should offer a great big thank you to God, the One who created us, to bring Him praise, glory, and honor. (Revelations 4:11) So why do so many people wonder what His will is? Maybe they need to be conformed to God, rebel from the world, be transformed, renew their mind, and then they will be able to discern God’s will in their lives. In so doing, they will also be praising Him and bringing God glory.
What is Good, Pleasing, and Perfect
Again, this flows naturally from aligning ourselves to God, who is all-good and perfect. By meditating on things above, we are filling ourselves with good and pleasing things. There will be no room for anything else. As the saints embraced holiness, they were offended by things of the world and found them repugnant. Not only did they draw closer to God, conforming their will to His, they rebelled against the world, leaving behind their fleshly desires to put on Christ. (Romans 13:14) This brings us to Philippians 4:8:
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
If we desire less world and more Christ, we need only align our vision, mind, and will to the Lord of all things. Easier said than done!
Less World, More Christ 