Living on the Edge
Bible Reading: Romans 12:1-2
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2
Several hundred years ago in England, the king was choosing drivers for his royal horse-drawn coach. He asked each driver a question: “If you were driving me on a winding mountain road, how close could you come to the edge of the road without going over?”
The first driver boasted, “I’m an excellent driver, Your Majesty. I could drive your coach within eighteen inches of the edge at top speed and not go over.”
The second driver bragged, “My skill and experience are unmatched, Your Majesty. I could drive your coach to within six inches of the edge.”
But the third driver responded, “I would take no chances with your safety, Your Majesty. I would drive the coach as far away from the edge as possible.”
The king chose the third driver. He was the only one more interested in the king’s safety than in showing off.
There’s an attitude that shows up in a lot of people, young and old: “I want to see how close to the edge I can get without getting into trouble.” The only thing they want to know about school is, “How little can I work?” Their one puzzle about getting along with parents is, “How sneaky can I be?” Their one question about keeping their life organized is, “How messy can my room get?” And when it comes to serving God, they wonder, “How much sin can I get away with?”
People who are useful to God have the attitude of the third driver. They think, “To honor my God, I will see how far away from the edge I can stay.”
The battle between good and evil takes place inside of us. According to Romans 12:2, your mind is the battlefield. To be different, you have to be renewed in your mind—you have to think the way Jesus does. Lose the war there, and you lose it in your actions. If you let thoughts about doing bad things run through your mind, for example, it becomes easy to give in to the least little pressure to do wrong. But if you fill your brain with thoughts of doing good and following God, your actions will become more and more like Christ’s. You’ll be transformed!
If you want to live for God you won’t just let him change your behavior. You’ll allow him to remake you from the inside out.
TALK: What do you think of your God—who helps change you from the inside out?
PRAY: God, change our life from the inside out. Help us think differently so we act in a way that pleases you.
ACT: Do you have areas in your life where you try to see how close to the edge you can get? If you’re not sure, your parents or another family member may be able to tell you. Talk with God about how he would like to change that!