Paul says in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (NIV).
Renew means to make something new, fresh or strong again. In order for us to renew our mind, we must change the way we think. In other words, we must change our attitude and viewpoint about a situation, a problem, an issue, etc. Paul opens up Romans 12 by saying, “Do Not” conform to the pattern of this world, which clearly implies that the world has a certain way of doing things, like solving problems, life situations and so forth. So if the world has a specific design to resolve problems, issues, as well as life circumstances, so does the Kingdom of God. Paul is saying we, as Kingdom believers cannot respond to life situations like the world. We must renew our mind by changing our attitude about the situation, issue or circumstance. For instance, the world will tell you to leave your philandering and wayward husband, but the Kingdom of God would say stay with your cheating husband because “Love covers a multitude of sin” (1Pet. 4:8). The world would say you cannot start a business without money and that’s crazy, but the Kingdom of God would say, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1), and “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:4).
Therefore a Kingdom mindset requires an attitude adjustment. We can no longer allow the world to dictate how we should respond to life and live life. As citizens of the Kingdom of God and as sons and daughters of the Most High God, we have one of the greatest weapons on the earth and that is the word of God. The Bible is a living document/book that provides us with wise instructions on how to live a Kingdom lifestyle on this realm called earth, which debunks all worldviews about how to live life. In fact, the Bible says, I (the Word/the Kingdom of God) take the foolish things to confound the wise (1Corth. 1:27a). In other words, the wisdom of God is foolishness to the world and totally contrary to the views, attitudes and principles of this world. So, when God tells us to do something outlandish, crazy and contrary to the world’s view, respond quickly because Paul says in Romans 12: 2, “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” The Message Bible says it like this, “Fix your attention on God. You will be changed from inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
In closing, believers of the Kingdom of God should not follow after the ways of this world because it yields and produces nothing.
