The Life Of A Worship Leaderنموونە

Transformed, Not Conformed

Each day we have a choice. Each crossing has its fork. Which one do you take: the path that seems more alluring, yet crooked, or the path that looks plain and straight?

We long to take the way that leads to life. However, when we look around, it appears that we’ve lost our direction. How do we get to the right track, when we know that we can’t go back, but must move forward? Our navigation lies in the incredible mercy and love of God: “Do not conform 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." - Romans 12:2

Everyone else may take the common path. That path looks more appealing to the eye and intriguing by its curves, but its trail leads to death (Proverbs 12:28). The road that leads to everlasting calls us to leave our simple ways and to walk in the way of understanding (Proverbs 9:6).

How does this relate to worship? What does this mean to life?

When we stand in the middle of this fork, questions and choices wage war against our spirits and battle for our minds. In the end, it results in who or what we really worship, how we live, and where we go to find satisfaction. The two roads we face have two street names: Conform and Transform.

Conform means to “make or become like, or to behave in a conventional way without asking questions, or prevailing opinions by others.” For the church, we have fallen on this road by taking every other path. We think it will bring us to a better way of life, worship, or satisfaction, but it doesn’t.

Transform means to “change the condition, function, nature, character, or personality” of something. God is not as interested in where you’ve been, but cares more about where you are and where you are going. Conforming is about behavior; transforming is about character. God desires to change both and has made this way through One Man - Christ Our Lord.

This is what Paul meant when he said not to conform to the trends of the world. Remember, he’s talking to the church. As appealing as the world may be to the eye, we are to live another way. By having God renew our minds is to transform our behavior. It’s to diminish our habits and to replace them by God’s mercy. In order to call Him Lord and Christ, we must also act and become like followers of Christ. We are to show Him worth if we are to call Him worthy.

This not only transforms our way of living, but it also transforms our way of worship. If our way of living and worship changes, the way we serve also changes, by a clean heart.

How different and much more beautiful would our music be if we choose a better way of living? How much better would it be if “we,” as leaders, walked in the light and took strong steps? How great would the reverberations of our sincerity be in the world if we acted more like Christ and less like the patterns of the church?

Begin this day by taking the right path. Ask God to guard you against evil and temptation. Seek and ask Him to impart wisdom for the journey. Give yourself completely to Him and watch Him transform the way you live. He truly satisfies our every need that keeps us from running to sin.

Before our worship changes, our living must be changed. It doesn’t start with the church; it’s starts with you and me. Our hearts must be broken in order to sing the song of salvation.

This is our spiritual act of worship: to offer ourselves as living sacrifices and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, to know His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)