"Be very careful then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is."
Romans 12:2
"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."
As I typed these verses today, it struck me again that Romans really gives us a way to know God's will. It's to put aside the patterns (traditions, culture, totally acceptable behavior) of this world and be transformed by the renewing of our mind. I have to confess that the most transformational decision I have ever been a part of was to not get a TV when Jeff and I got married. It's not very popular to say, but I think TV and movies mess with our minds. I think we get desensitized to things that would blow our mind if we didn't see them every day. I personally experienced a radical shift in my thinking, tenderness of spirit, and perspective of what is acceptable, after about 3 years of no TV. It was like a detoxifying "cleanse" that a naturopath puts you on to get your body back "in balance." Only this was a cleanse for my mind.
Have any of you noticed how much our culture revolves around completely fictitious people and places? We invest our time, emotions, conversations and often our money, in people, situations, feelings and experiences that don't exist. Or, if they do exist, like celebrities or sports stars, their life is so totally removed from ours, that it could never impact us apart from the entertainment world - so we get wrapped up in their lives, instead of our own.
And that's the point I'm drilling down to - I think sometimes we miss an opportunity to know ourselves, and possibly God, better, because we fill our life and time with the life and times of fictitious people and places on the tube. Is it time to clear the clutter in your brain? Do you need some clarity on God's direction and purpose for your life? Could I suggest an experiment? What if you turned off the TV for 6 months, and each time your hand reaches for a movie to fill the next two hours, grab a journal, or a cup of coffee, or take a walk, or talk to your spouse, or read a book to your kids, or say a quick prayer, and ask God to open your eyes to the things in our culture that are natural to you, but completely unnatural to Him. It just may renew your mind.
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