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Do Over by Krissy McArthur When I was a little girl I used to love to sit on the floor in my mom’s bathroom while she was getting ready for the day. On special days she would let me play with her make up. Usually, I made a mess with bright blue eye shadow and red lipstick; I thought I was the most beautiful girl ever. That’s what makeovers do, they make us feel beautiful and different. They change our outward appearance...but sadly, only temporarily. Most people associate new beginnings with New Year’s or Spring. They are the logical times for thinking about life, goals, and priorities, but in college, the beginning of a new school year, feels like the best time to re-evaluate our life direction and goals. The reality is that we don’t need a makeover, we need a do over. We need to be transformed from the inside out, but how do we do that? The Apostle Paul, who wrote a large portion of the New Testament, gives us the secret to the kind of true freedom that only comes from real transformation in Romans 12:1-2... "I appeal to you therefore brothers [and sisters], by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (ESV)." Let’s face it, we aren’t very fond of the words 'do not." If we were completely honest we would probably say that the words do not make us want to do exactly what we are not supposed to do. And to most Christianity is just a set of rules that require us not to do a variety of things...kinda like parents. When I went to college I thought that I was going to finally be "free" from my parents, their rules, and their authority. I could do whatever I wanted and make my own choices. Freedom! It was great...for a little while. But when I made the first really bad decision and had to call home for help, I began to re-think the whole freedom thing. Even though I was technically old enough to make my own decisions, I didn’t always know what was best. So I thought that I was free, but many aspects of that "freedom" were destructive to myself or others and they actually became a form of enslavement. This is why Paul tells us not to be conformed to this world. The word "world" comes from the Greek work "cosmos." Cosmos is the ordered, but broken system the world abides by. Paul is warning us not to be directed or to make our choices according to the sinful patterns and short sided values of the. The first part of Chapter 12 says that we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. In the Old Testament, worship and freedom came through blood and sacrifice. Our spiritual form of worship is to be that we offer our bodies as living sacrifices. So, are we supposed to climb up on the altar and die? Well, sort of. We are supposed to acknowledge and repent (turn away from) the lies by which live...that perhaps a certain purse, hairdo, guy, etc. will bring us fulfillment. Because like a makeover, these things are temporary, external things, they will not bring true contentment or real change to our hearts. Paul says that the secret to lasting change, from the inside out, is to be transformed by the renewing of our minds...that’s the do over. Real transformation is possible. Have you ever known someone that you knew for a long time as one way, and then the next time you saw them they were completely different? Like their whole person and countenance were changed? This is the kind of change Paul is talking about. It seems really simple, but I believe this is the answer to living an abundant Christian life. We can only do better and be better for a period of time. We are sinners born into the broken "cosmos" and unable to keep any type of behavior modification going forever. In our own power we will always fail. The only way to real change is the renewal of our minds. Spending time studying the Bible is the primary tool that will allow us to walk in freedom and not be conformed to the world. God also uses the process of prayer to change our hearts and to show us the things we need to know about Him. It is through prayer that we confess and repent, which are both necessary for renewal. And God created us to experience renewal through community. When we surround ourselves with people that challenge us to know God, we experience the transformation that comes through the outpouring of God’s grace. Freedom comes when we pour out our souls in the right place. Instead of the temporary transformation that comes from a surface makeover, wouldn't you rather experience the soul transformation of a God do over?