On Conformity

I just recently watched "Alice in Wonderland" in the theatres, not because of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, or the hype, but because it was free.

So I went in with low expectations, and guess what?  I was pleasantly surprised. The story may or may not be closely adapted to Lewis Carroll's books, but I can't remember enough to compare. 

What struck me was Alice's personality...and how she was cast as this "Independent Thinker, Independent Woman".  And to be honest, part of that struck a cord in me...

What is it about "free will" and the ability to make choices "ourselves" that is so desirous? I think it goes back to pride...we want to believe we are the makers of our own destiny, that we can control not only our own lives, but also the lives of others...or at least try to know enough to then be able to "plan" it out...


But in reality, our lives are not our own, and to think otherwise is foolishness and to believe Satan's lies.  As believers, we have died to self, and Christ now controls.  

Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I would live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Ephesians 4:22-24 - "to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

On a related note, I just finished Joshua Harris' latest "Dug Down Deep" and wanted to share the most interesting part.  He writes:

      "When I use the word conviction, I'm talking about a heart-level, settled belief before God that doesn't change with our environment. Conviction is something we believe, not because someone is making us, not because we have to, but because we are convinced it's what God would have us believe.
      Compliance isn't conviction. Conformity to other people's standards isn't conviction. Adapting to a church culture isn't conviction. Biblical conviction is the result of the study of Scripture, careful thought, discussion, and the search for wisdom. It requires work. It requires the humility to test the results of our choices and change our actions when necessary. Most important it requires laser focus on God.
      The solution here isn't to throw out all the rules. It's to embrace God's rules and obey them out of a desire to honor him. If there's a rule in your life that you obey solely because of someone else and that person's opinion, take the time to study Scripture yourself. See if your rule is really biblical. Sometimes you'll find that it is - either because Scripture directly commands it or because biblical principles convince you of its wisdom. But other times you might find that it's man-made and you could leave it behind."

He goes on to say how we need to make our relationship with God more about the good we're called to pursue than the avoidance of sin. Becoming like Jesus isn't just about not doing wrong, but pursuing obedience and "doing" righteousness.


I don't have any problem with Alice wanting to break free of the constraints or "expectations" placed upon her by her family and the pressures of society.  

To me, it's really a matter of the heart...we have to be able to know what we believe, because we've sought after and asked for wisdom, that we've studied Scripture and prayed to the Lord for guidance...and that even if it seems "outside the box", that it is completely ok to be different, to do things less traditionally, so long as we're pursuing Christlikeness, convinced that it honors God, and comes from a pure heart.

I hate it when people just do what they do because that's what everyone else is doing, or what we're supposed to do, without understanding why.  When they don't go out and try to figure it out for themselves or have a strong sense of conviction, it's really sad.  So please don't just conform...do what you need to do to find out what you need to find out, and the Lord is faithful to show you when you seek Him with all your heart.


Grace and peace to you.