Self-Presentation, Part 2

S

(Romans 12:2) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect (NRSV).

O

Conforming (schema) to the world is like working hard to blend in with the cast of a theatrical play: you echo what you hear and try to adapt the the scene around you. Transformation (metamorphoo)is different. It means change, a change that is caused by becoming different, someone whose mind is reorganized by Heaven's insights. This happens as the Holy Spirit helps us understand God's Word.

A (Personal)

Sometimes, after blowing a scene with someone (misbehaving), I ask for a "do over" much like a movie director would require a scene to be reshot. When I value God's Word in my heart (Psalm 119: 9-11, 105-112), I see my world differently. I become more gracious, more courageous, more loving ... and these positive changes affect me and the world around me. I don't have to be like everyone else that I'm tempted to complain about.

A (Psychological)

Peter (1 Peter 1:14), like Paul, said our conformation to worldly schema is based on (1) our lusts (the desires that form from the pathos of our wounded, diseased soul) and (2) our ignorance. When describing basic behavioral-cognitive models of therapy, Becvar and Becvar (2003, p. 239) as "fundamental assumptions an individual has about the world that tend to be resistant to change and all-encompassing. They are the basis for coding, categorizing, and evaluating experiences during the course of one's life... Cognitive-behavioral therapists [believe schema] generally operate outside of conscious awareness [and] influence the way in which family members respond to one another." This underscores the importance of having a reliable means of testing and validating our assumptions.

P

Lord, I have defined my world and my inner rules for interacting with people--what's fair and what's not--and I've learned that whenever I adjust my values so the align better with Yours, that my thoughts and emotions get healthier. So do my relationships. Help me to continue to remap my schema so I transform my environment and my perspectives. Help me to do on earth as You do in Heaven.