Rom 12:2 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

The Bible tells us that we are already being conformed to the ways and patterns of the world but we must resist this. Instead, we should be changed by the renewing of our minds to know what God’s will is. To find this out, we can find out what the Bible says about certain things as a basis for decisions.

2Tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

For it to be proven, there is an implication that it is tested (and followed) so that after trying it out, even though it may not feel good or sound good or what today’s culture or yesterday’s tradition will dictate or it may sound strange, we will know that God’s way is good, acceptable, and perfect. Our pastor would say that with God, “‘To believe is to see’ rather than ‘to see is to believe'”

Isa 55:9b So are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

God’s ways are on an altogether different plane. It may not make sense. But when you follow God’s formula, it works.

My friend, Heidi, one day shared with us how the commandment on keeping the Sabbath holy was easily disobeyed. Not to become legalistic about it as the seventh day of the week does not necessarily need to fall on a particular day (for example in a work week, the seventh day of rest can fall on a weekday).

A few weeks later, I got a message that a popular news show on a major TV network wanted to feature my business but the taping had to be done the next day, a Sunday, as the telenovela actor host is always fully booked and is only available that day. I got so excited and grateful and made the arrangements. We discussed the preparations and I agreed with my staff that they would get overtime pay and we would delay one day their day off. But sometime after I got off the phone, I remembered that my staff had worked six days and the next day was their Sabbath rest. Heidi’s sharing on keeping the Sabbath holy stayed on my mind. Fear of getting blacklisted as a guest flashed on my mind for being OA or for cancelling on an appointment. A thirty second spot on the major network would cost an arm and a leg but here, we were going to be featured for free. In the wake of the recent Yolanda calamity which affected the economy, a boost like this is most welcome. But I felt so strongly that God was giving me an opportunity to apply what I had learned in my head. These words started replaying on my mind “Lord, this is my test.”

Before I could change my mind, I somberly called my assistant to call the TV representative to apologize and cancel our appointment. “I would have to take the consequences but I can not go against God,” I told my assistant. She later relayed to me that the TV representative was utterly dismayed. I surrendered it to God that He would be the one to take care of the repercussions for me as I sought to follow Him.

The following week, during the weekday, the same TV representative called again and this time, I had the foreknowledge of the schedule and was able to let the affected staff members take their Sabbath rest one day before the scheduled work. The feature went well. The TV representative himself was so kind as to say that he agrees with me that I should not go against God!

God was so merciful to affirm that following His good, pleasing, and perfect will is the best choice. I thank Him for His grace alone that allowed me to catch myself, to be able to detach myself from the benefit that was dangling in front of me, to be able to know that He does not intend to deprive me of a good thing but is interested to know if He is my first priority. Glory to Him alone!