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Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2a, NASB1995).
I’ve meditated on this verse for years. I don’t want to be conformed to this world, I want to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. The Apostle Paul indicates in Romans 12:2 that our transformation starts with how we think.
It’s easy to play mind games, and the number one reason most aren’t transformed is saying and having the attitude of, “I’m okay.” Being changed means admitting that we aren’t okay. After Peter preached his first sermon to the Jews in Acts 2, he told those listening to “repent.” And repentance in the Greek means “changing your mind.”
Saying “I’m okay,” or “Everything is fine,” or “No problem” can mask inner turmoil, hidden sin, and buried resentment. One author said…
When something is festering in your memory or your imagination, laws of silence don’t work; it’s just like shutting a door and locking it on a house on fire in the hope of forgetting that the house is burning.
Big mistake to say, “I’m okay.”
My family experienced a house fire. My wife, son, and I (we were the only ones home) grabbed a few important items and ran out the door. I was the last to leave the house, having shut the door, walked off the porch, and then stopped my wife from trying to run back into the house. She said, “The house looks okay, and two of my cats are inside.” I’d just walked out of the house, and it seemed fine, but as she finished her sentence, there was an explosion and a fireball, with 1,500-degree heat, that flashed through the house seeking oxygen.
My wife wouldn’t have survived if she had gone into the house.
How many of us, or how many do we know, who seemed okay and even said they were okay, and then they suddenly fell apart or succumbed to temptation? As a pastor, I’ve listened to many devastating circumstances that happened under the guise of “okay.” Even years later, they’re not “fine,” flying into a rage, experiencing emotional turmoil, and developing physical sicknesses.
They didn’t admit the house was on fire, even years after the original event or transgression. Facial serenity and emotional denial ignite ever-increasing turmoil.
Paul said to not be conformed to our former manner of handling difficulties but to be renewed with a mind of honesty and confession. James writes, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” Peter adds, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all of your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
I believe it’s better to say, “Please pray,” or “I am frustrated,” or “I must confess.” It’s not okay to say, “I’m okay.”