Comformity

Depression is complex with many different contributing factors. Conflict could possibly be one of those factors. I’m not talking about conflict with others, although that also could impact our depression. I want to talk about internal conflict. The battle that is within us that we fight every day. The war between who we are and who the world wants us to be. We want to fit in and be accepted, and this at times creates an internal conflict. We have a choice of who or what we conform to. The world, or Jesus?

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1). The apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans instructs us to not conform to the world. Many of the patterns of this world are at odds with God and who we are truly meant to be. When we return to the Creation story we see that God created us in His image (Genesis 1:27). God doesn’t reflect the ways of the world. God doesn’t conform to the patterns of the world we live in. When conform to anything other than Jesus we are going against the very image we are created to be like. So when we try to conform to the patterns of this world we are denying the image we were created to be like. This will lead to conflict within our soul. And this conflict can contribute to our depression. 

Paul goes on to tell us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Simply put, stop trying to conform to the patterns of this world. Instead we read our Bible, we pray, we focus on the image we are created to be like. As we do this our minds will be transformed and we will start to conform to Jesus, just as it was meant to be. Conforming to the patterns of this world creates a false self. The conflict between our false self and our true self may be a contributing factor to our depression. When we conform to Jesus we can determine God’s will for our lives. Look at what Paul says, “His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” God’s will is good, and when we know and do His will we will be happier because we will be conforming to the image we were created like. This lessens the internal conflict we have. God’s will is also pleasing. Because of this life will become a pleasure because we no longer experience the conflict within our soul. God’s will is perfect. It lacks nothing. 

By conforming to the image of God we can reduce the internal conflict that brings us down. When we conform to who we are meant to be we will be pleased with who we are, thus reducing our depressed mood. So, the choice is ours. Do we continue to conform to the patterns of this world? Or, do we conform to the image of God?