Conformity.

"Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

Romans 12:2 -- A common verse heard in sermons, retreats, devotionals -- certainly a true one.

Do I actually grasp it, though?

Where do I draw the line? It's harder than I realize to know the difference between conformity and just living my life on this third rock from the sun. I often fear that I have conformed to the world's patterns without even realizing it. I've become desensitized to things that should have a significnt effect on me - words, actions, lifestyles, et cetera.

So how can I know the difference? I should be "in the word and not of it." Not of this world.

The more the Lord teaches me, the more I question things that once seemed harmless. Is it okay for me to even watch television? To listen to secular music? To watch the latest blockbuster? I know people that have fallen away from the Lord, and what started their backsliding was making excuses to allow themselves to take part in this stuff. First is self-indulgence, then desensitization, and thus conformity. It's "just sex," "just the human body," "just words," "just a drink."

Then there's the argument that these things affect people differently. That sounds like an excuse, too. Underage drinking because they're "mature enough." Swearing because it "doesn't bother" them. Allowing something inappropriate "for art's sake."

Lots of questions.

What it comes down to is my own walk with the Lord. Being in the word - seeking God's will (to be transformed) over my own hedonistic pursuits (being conformed).