Being different isn’t so bad. We are all different aren’t we? Well, some of us are more different than others, but that may not be a bad thing. After all, God said his people should be different. Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

The word translated, “be ye transformed” is the Greek word from which we get the English “metamorphosis”. Metamorphosis is a process by which animals physically develop bringing about a rather abrupt change in the animal itself. An example would be a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. If we did not know about the process of metamorphosis, we would never expect the beautiful and elegant butterfly had any relation to the little caterpillar.

Do we bear any resemblance to the people we were before we were Christians? Do we appear different than the unsaved people around us? These are serious questions we must examine.

• Are our priorities different? What is the most important factor in an every day life decision? Monetary value or spiritual value? What did Jesus say? Matthew 6:33.
• Are our families different? God has high standards. Matthew 19:10; Ephesians 5:22-6:4; Matthew 5:32.
• Are our worship services different than those around us? Do we worship God or self? Do we worship according to the New Testament pattern (2 Thessalonians 2:15), or according to the new desires of people (John 4:24)?
• Are we dedicated to service of dedicated to being served? Philippians 2:5-11.

Are our lives really that different than those around us? If not, then have we really been transformed?