And don’t be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
I was really challenged to think about this contrast after reading “Practising the Way” by John Mark Comer.

This age that we live in will conform you. To it. Guaranteed. Just by living in it you will be gradually conformed. You will become like them.
But, if you let him, God’s Spirit will transform you.
By renewing your mind, to think, like God thinks.
To see things, like God sees things.
To love people, like God loves people.

But you have to choose, not to be conformed to this age.
I would also say, by choosing not to watch all the so called entertainment on TV every day.
By choosing not to spend your money on all the things the world spends their money on.
By choosing not to spend all your time doing the things the world wastes its time doing.
By choosing not to get caught up in the way the world judges everyone, (except themselves).

By choosing to be transformed. Ask the Holy Spirit to transform you. Let the Holy Spirit transform you.

Think about Saul in Acts 9. A young up and coming Jewish religious fanatic really.
The world had shaped Saul into a violent religious enforcer, but the Spirit reshaped him into a servant of Yeshua. He had been conformed to the world’s influence, and he became filled and motivated by zeal without love. Desperately seeking status among the Pharisees.
But he was transformed by the Spirit who took away his worldly blindness and gave him new sight, a new identity, and a world changing new mission.

Think about Gideon in Judges 6–7
Gideon was a man shaped by fear, by family idols, and by a national despair of its future. But he became courageous only when Yahweh’s Spirit came on him, and totally transformed his way of thinking about success, and power.
Under the world’s influence his conclusion was, “My clan is the weakest… I am the least.” But after being transformed by the Spirit we read, “Yahweh’s Spirit clothes Gideon”, and he becomes the fearless deliverer of his people. Defeating 135,000 soldiers with only 300 men.

And consider the contrast between David and Saul in 1 Samuel.
Two kings whose lives show totally opposite directions. One shaped by submissions to transformation by the Spirit, the other totally conformed to living in fear of other people.
Saul, (conformed to the world), feared people more than God, and desperately sought approval from them, and spiralled into being totally driven by jealousy.
David, (transformed by the Spirit), grew from being a shepherd, to becoming a giant-slayer, to becoming a king after God’s own heart.
It took years, and he had some setbacks along the way, but his life shows the long term effect of surrendering to the Spirit led transformation vs Saul’s surrender to being desperate for the approval of the world, and caring more about what they think, than what God says.

Or Daniel and his friends…
Young men who refused to submit to the pressure of an empire to conform to their way of living. Who were all totally empowered by God’s Spirit to live differently regardless of what people thought.
They were captives, they had to submit to Babylonian re-education, and to having new Babylonian names, but they refused to submit to forced worship of anything other than Yahweh.
And they were blessed with the Spirit’s transformation, gaining wisdom, courage, and prophetic insight. And receiving a truly miraculous rescue which not only changed their lives, but which got the attention of everyone around them, and gave clear glory to Yahweh, the one true God.
Hopefully you’re not a captive. Even though sometimes you might live like you are. But you do not have to conform to the pressures the world is putting on you. There is an alternative. And better than an alternative, there is a far far better way to live your life. Invite the Spirit of Yahweh to transform your life. Let him change how you think about everything. Let him change how you value everything.
You won’t regret it. You will only ever regret that you didn’t take that step earlier.

There are so many other examples in the Bible.
Joseph who could easily have justified becoming bitter and hating everyone for all the truly evil and unjust things which were done to him. But who trusted Yahweh, and allowed his spirit to transform him. And who became truly the avenue for salvation of his people.
Moses who started out really conformed to the Egyptian world view he had grown up in, but who always knew that God’s way was more important. That his real people were the Jews. And was transformed after running away to becoming the shepherd of his people, and friend of Yahweh. But it took 40 years. This isn’t going to happen for you instantly, just because you finally decide today. That decision will be the beginning of that transformation. You have quite a journey in front of you.
Or look at the disciples, before and after Pentecost. Before when they had been taught by Yeshua but when they had no Holy Spirit. And after, when the Holy Spirit had descended on them.
From hiding in fear in case they were arrested and killed too, to boldly declaring the good news of Yeshua to a hostile crowd with even more hostile leadership.

And so, how about you? What’s driving you? Would you say you are living out the transformation by the Holy Spirit? Would you say you want to? Starting today? I’ve never read of anyone who regretted taking that step.
You must decide to let him transform you. And you must decide to make the changes he suggests to you so that are no longer in the bondage of conformation to the world around you.

Do it.