conforming?

Conform. When I think of conforming my engineering brain automatically thinks about a liquid or gas that conforms to the boundary it is placed in. The definition given by Webster says that is correct in one sense of the word, but to conform can also mean to be obedient or compliant, or it can also mean to act in accordance with prevailing standards or customs.

Think about all the things around you that we are conforming to. Are you turning in your taxes this year? I sure hope you are conforming to the rules enforced with those. Have you driven lately? Well most of us try and conform to the recommended maximum speed, but aren't always successful. On the subject of driving you must have a car, so do you trust that the manufacturer conformed to the design specifications to make a safe, reliable and efficient car? You sure hope so.

But among all these things the biggest question is, are you conforming to the world or to something greater? I recently came across this quote:

"To be close to God requires nothing we all do not have, it just
requires holding nothing that we do have back from God."

Think about that for a minute... are you holding something back, or are you caught up in worldly things, such as TV shows, that new pair of jeans, or that big screen TV? Jesus says in John 12:25

"The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who
hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

So do we hate our lives enough? Do you love Christ so much that on that scale of love it appears that you hate everything else beyond him? This is a hard thing to achieve, but something we all should strive for.