Squeezed into the World’s Mold

My parents bought an antique butter mold at an auction several years ago. For those of you my age, or younger, I may need to point out that those molds came from an era when people made their butter rather than purchasing it from the local “IGA.” Butter was placed into the mold and pressure was applied to a plunger which forced the butter into the shape of the mold and left a decorative imprint on the top of the finished product. By using the mold, the finished product was the same each time.

The New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips reads: “With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves toward the goal of true maturity” (Romans 12:1-2).

In a sense, all of us have been placed into a mold and are being formed and shaped. We choose the mold and the mold determines the end product. Paul warns us not to let the world squeeze us into its mold. It is a terrible mistake to let society mold and shape us. The finished product will not be pleasing to God nor beneficial to man, and we will have the imprint of the devil upon us.

The challenge of New Testament Christianity is to let God mold and shape us by his word. When that happens He, and not the world, will determine how we dress, speak, and conduct our lives, and the imprint of his Son will be upon us. Paul wrote to Timothy, “…the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness’” (2 Timothy 2:19).

Are you being molded and shaped by God?