Unashamed Reading Plan
Check out all the previous Unashamed readings here.
Unashamed Reading Plan | Week 12 | Day 2
Prayer
Pray today that God would show Himself to you throughout your day. Ask that you might see things differently, and that you make it a point to seek God in your regular routine.
Bible Reading: Romans 12:2a
Read these verses three times slowly.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Reflection & Questions
By Preston Kulesha
Have you ever found yourself surrounded by sports fans of a team you don’t care about, and you somehow find yourself rooting for that team for the duration of the game? Or how about when you start a new job, and you can tell that your mannerisms and routines are starting to shift to look more like the people you work with? What about the difference in your personality & conversations when you’re with one friend group, vs another? Or one family, vs the in-laws?
It’s not always on purpose, but many times, the situation that we’re in plays a massive role in the way that we act, talk, & think. In our verse today, Paul urges Christians to not conform to the world that we live in. This feels like a true ‘easier said than done’ moment, because it’s hard to not be a bit of a chameleon in the world we live in! Sometimes it’s for self-preservation, but other times it’s just a natural part of being human. Humans are easily influenced, and change frequently because of it.
That’s why the next line is so important. God knows that we can be easily influenced, there’s no denying it. So instead of telling us to just deal with it, we are provided an alternative: to be influenced by God and His Word, the Bible. Paul, the one who wrote this verse, is urging Christians to be transformed by renewing our minds on God, by surrounding ourselves with His Word, His people, and His teachings. When we put growing closer to God in the driver’s seat of our life, we will be influenced for the better.
- What is one thing that positively influenced you this week, and one thing that negatively influenced you?
- How can you adjust something this week to prioritize your mind’s focus on God and His truths, rather than the world & its cultural lies?
Prayer
Talk to God in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Bible Reading: Romans 12:2a
Read these verses three times slowly.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Reflection & Questions
The chameleon is an animal that changes his outward appearance to match his surroundings. If it is on a green leaf, it can change its skin color to the same shade of green. Not only that, but it can change to match a pattern of multiple colors too!
In today’s scripture, Paul is telling us to NOT be like the chameleon. He says NOT to conform to the pattern of this world. In our world, we see kids bullying and teasing other kids. We see classmates cheating on their school work. We hear kids telling lies and spreading rumors about other kids. These are the people we DON’T want to be like.
So how do we avoid being like those people? It’s difficult not to join in! The last part of today’s verse tells us how: “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” How do you do that? We can surround ourselves with All Things God: His Bible, His people (Christian friends), and His teachings (church)! When we get closer and closer to God, we will have His influence instead of the influence of the sinful world.
- What is one thing that has influenced you in a good way this week? What is one thing that has been a bad influence on you this week?
Pray
Ask God to show you how you can move away from the bad influences in your life and move closer to Him.
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
