A Paper Tiger

Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

conforming is a funny thing. interesting, really. it happens to us without us even realizing it. it’s actually natural for us. our souls (mind, emotions, will) are built to conform.

think about the thing you’d like to eat least out of everything in the world. maybe it’s whale blubber. maybe it’s insects like bear grylls sometimes eats in the wild. maybe you think you could never possibly eat spinach. 

if you were stuck somewhere, and the only food around was food that you hated, you’d end up eating it. you might hold out for a day or two, but eventually you’re going to eat it, and you know, you’re eventually going to like it. it’s called an acquired taste.

if you were Lost on an island with none of the modern conveniences you’re used to, you’d end up pretty quickly conforming to the environment around you. eating island food, learning build an island shelter, learning to hunt etc. think of the movie Castaway, or better yet Robin Williams in Jumangi, when he got sucked into the jungle as a child and then came back as a crazy jungle man wearing jungle clothes and knowing how to fight off wild animals. really it’s a matter of “conform or die” and nobody wants to die.

our souls being built to conform is what makes the saying “if you tell a lie long enough people will start to believe it” true. we conform to what we are exposed to the most.

if you constantly watch/read/listen to the news, you’re going to be conformed to the opinion of the news and believe what it says (the economy is failing, there are WMDs in Iraq etc.). and wasn’t there a study done (and i think a movie made about) a mentally healthy person being put in a mental institution and developing signs of mental illness? and the study where students were put in a prison and some were assigned as guards and some as prisoners and they began to behave as if they were those roles, even becoming violent against each other?

here’s the thing, you either believe what the Bible says about any given subject, or you believe something else. what are you exposing yourself to more that is conforming your mind to one thing or another? do you believe John 14:12

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

or Mark 16:17-18

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly think, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Jesus said those things. If you call yourself a Christian and have cause to believe that Jesus didn’t mean it when he said “I tell you the truth” then i’d like to hear your reasoning for that.

but the point here is, are you believing in the pattern of this world which says that miracles like the one’s performed in the Bible don’t happen anymore? or are you believing God’s word like in Matthew 17:20

…for verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed (not ”as small as” a grain of mustard seed. “as small as” is an incorrect translation and i’d be happy to explain why if you ask), ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

you either believe God, or you believe something the devil’s cooked up as “evidence” to prove God is wrong (or has changed, or doesn’t care anymore). you’re either for or against. hot or cold.

i could ramble on and on and quote verses and demonstrate more things but nobody want’s to read 20 pages of a tumblr post.

do you read the Bible more than you read the newspaper?
do you see your friend or family member with cancer and cry for them or do you know that every single person who came to Jesus (the word) asking for healing was healed, even if they were coming to ask for someone else and not themselves, and if you truly believe you can say to that cancer “remove hence to yonder place” and it shall remove?

are you seeking God or are you sitting and absorbing everything around you? what are you spending your time, energy and thought with to be conformed by?

just questions.