Conformed or Renewed?

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  I dont know about you but it blows my mind that it is already May.  Time is flying.  As time flies by it is imperative to live for what truly matters.  Living not just to live but living in light of His grace.  Living in light of His grace calls us to daily abide in Him.  Daily abiding in Him involves allowing the Word to renew our minds and shape the way we think and operate.  The book of Judges is filled with examples of people who drifted away from the authority and truth of the Word.  A couple of weeks ago this really hit me when looking in chapter 2.

Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals, and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the LORD to anger. (Jdg 2:11-12 NAU)

 As a consequence of turning from the Word that God had called them to hold so diligently, they began to compromise and became conformed to what was around them. What really hit me when looking at this is that simple phrase, "who were around them." Isn't that the way it always works? When we choose to do it our own way it will always result in conformity to the culture around us. I pray by God's grace I will embrace His renewing Word, and live for what truly matters.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom 12:2 NAU)