“Because whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).Are you being conformed to the image of Jesus Messiah? Has there been a noticeable change in your likes and dislikes since you trusted Jesus to save you?
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 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” (Romans 12:1-2).
Everyone who is truly born from above will change. You will stop doing certain things and start doing things you did not do previously. Your thought life will also change. To determine whether something is good (honoring to the Lord) pray, read the Bible and ask yourself if Jesus would join you. There are a number things we know are not of God, and must be avoided at all costs — illegal drugs and getting drunk, slandering and falsely accusing others, adultery, etc.
“And be not drunk with wine in which is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).
The next time you listen to secular music, watch television and movies ask yourself if you think Jesus would enjoy spending the day listening to that music and watching those shows and movies. Not all movies and television shows are bad. Exercise great discernment in watching them. Stick to news and documentaries. The next time you watch a Hollywood production imagine Jesus is sitting next to you. Do you think He would sit through a Hollywood trash movie or television show? Of course not.
Sleeping, eating, moderate exercise and working are necessary but they should not take over one’s life. They are pursuits of the flesh that are necessary for survival. They are things to be mindful of without going overboard. All believers should spend more of their free time each day feeding their souls than feeding their flesh.
If you are not spending more time in spiritual activities (feeding your soul) than you do in eating and just hanging around accomplishing little of eternal value (feeding your flesh), then the connection with the Lord is suffering. Since most people take time to feed their flesh, we should take at least an equal amount of time in feeding our souls.
If you spend more time each day exercising the flesh than you do exercising your soul, which is more important to you? Your sinful body or your eternal soul?