What’s more, don’t let yourselves be squeezed into the shape dictated by the present age. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you can work out what God’s will is—what is good, acceptable, and complete.—Romans 12:2
Brainy Tip: The brain is neuroplastic: it changes according to its environment. What we allow into our brains, through the choices we make with our minds, can change the structure of our brains for good or for bad.
We don’t live in a bubble. We live in multifaceted, dynamic environments; each day it seems like there are a thousand voices telling us what we should believe, say, do, and wear. They tell us what life should be like and what we ought to be doing with our time. It is easy to give in to these voices, listening to them and allowing them to take root inside our heads. It is easy to “be squeezed into shape” by whatever is popular today.
But we do have the power to say no. We do have the power to say “This is not who I am. This is not who I want to be.” By observing and monitoring what we think about and the choices we make, we can change the structure of our brains, saying no to “the present age,” making the Messiah Lord over every area of our lives. We can say yes to his love, his glory—to the way he created us, to the passions he has placed inside us. We have the power to determine the direction of our lives.