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00:00:01 “Be transformed by making your mind over” 00:00:06 —what really is involved with this process? 00:00:10 Well, when we analyze this verse 00:00:12 at Romans 12:2, 00:00:15 perhaps there are four things initially that we need to remember. 00:00:19 First of all, to whom was Paul writing under inspiration? 00:00:24 Well, he was writing to Christians 00:00:28 who were anointed, who were faithful, 00:00:30 and yet he used an imperative form, 00:00:33 saying: “Be transformed.” 00:00:35 He didn’t say, “You were already transformed.” 00:00:39 So that’s an interesting point for us because when we read these words, 00:00:43 it’s not just a matter of us remembering what happened to us in the past 00:00:47 when we became Christians, 00:00:49 but it’s something that we need to focus on now. 00:00:53 And that’s highlighted by the second point: 00:00:56 that in the original language, the verbs used here 00:00:59 indicate a continual process, 00:01:02 not just something that happens once and that’s it. 00:01:06 And the third point: 00:01:08 that it indicates a complete change. 00:01:12 Now, many of us remember that the Greek word here 00:01:15 involves a complete change. 00:01:18 “Metamorphosis” is the word that comes from that. 00:01:21 And that reminds us of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. 00:01:25 Now, by this, we’re not inferring that we all have to become butterflies. 00:01:29 But the point highlighted is that it’s a complete change 00:01:33 from something that is one form to another. 00:01:37 So in a similar way, 00:01:39 with regard to our personality, 00:01:41 this is not just a superficial change, 00:01:44 as if we were changing our clothing 00:01:47 but, rather, a deep-down change that involves our personality. 00:01:51 So we change from one person to another. 00:01:55 Of course, this takes time. 00:01:58 And that’s the fourth point we need to keep in mind: 00:02:01 It’s a gradual process. 00:02:03 Not always is it just completely progressing in a positive sense. 00:02:08 Sometimes, for many of us, 00:02:10 we make some progress and then slip back a little, 00:02:13 and then we make some further progress. 00:02:15 But the main thing is that we’re making progress. 00:02:19 Yes, this is not just something that you do one time, and that’s it forever. 00:02:23 That’s highlighted by an experience 00:02:26 in The Watchtower back in 1977 00:02:30 of a brother, Harry Yoshikawa, from Hawaii. 00:02:34 He was a very large Japanese brother. 00:02:37 But before coming into the truth, he was a street brawler. 00:02:41 And, in fact, the article (his life experience) was 00:02:44 “From Street Brawler to Christian Minister.” 00:02:48 Now, Harry was trained in the martial arts. 00:02:52 He was trained in boxing, and he just enjoyed fighting other people. 00:02:56 But after serving in the military for a while, 00:02:59 eventually he came in contact with the truth, 00:03:02 and he started to make changes. 00:03:05 And his life story perhaps helps us to realize 00:03:08 what’s involved with these changes. 00:03:10 So, of course, he stopped drinking; he stopped fighting. 00:03:14 But Harry goes on to tell us about the first day that he went witnessing. 00:03:18 He was in a market area, holding up the Awake! magazine. 00:03:22 And he was calling out, “Read the Awake!” 00:03:26 Well, all of a sudden, some smart person said to him: 00:03:31 “I’m wide awake so I don’t need that trashy magazine.” 00:03:36 Well, Harry says that at that point, 00:03:38 his old personality returned to him. 00:03:41 He yelled out: “You’re wide awake, huh? 00:03:45 “Well, you won’t be for long. 00:03:47 You’ll be sleeping shortly.” 00:03:50 So Harry took a blow at this man, 00:03:55 who promptly ran, 00:03:57 and Harry chased him for two blocks. 00:04:00 Now, the other brother who was with Harry chased after him, 00:04:05 and fortunately the first man was a fast runner. 00:04:08 And when the other brother caught up with Harry, he said, 00:04:11 “Harry, what would you have done if you caught the man?” 00:04:14 He said, “I would have beat him up.” 00:04:16 And the brother tried to reason with Harry, 00:04:18 “Well, just imagine what a reproach this would be on Jehovah’s name, 00:04:23 I mean, if the police came.” 00:04:25 And Harry said: “No, it wouldn’t be. 00:04:26 “I wouldn’t tell him I was a Witness. 00:04:28 I’d say I was a Pentecostal.” 00:04:32 Well, Harry hadn’t quite made 00:04:35 that complete change. 00:04:37 But later, you see in this picture, as it appeared in The Watchtower, 00:04:41 here’s Harry working with his wife, 00:04:43 doing something that many Asian men would find very hard to do, 00:04:47 helping her in the kitchen. 00:04:49 And for many years, Harry and his wife served very faithfully in the circuit work. 00:04:54 And the change was so different 00:04:56 that many of the brothers and sisters who heard this story about Harry 00:05:00 —who was called, by the way, Tiny the Bruiser— 00:05:04 didn’t really believe that he was such a violent man previously. 00:05:08 So, what do we learn from this? 00:05:11 That this transformation process 00:05:14 may involve some drastic changes in the beginning 00:05:17 that outwardly appear to make someone different. 00:05:20 But gradually over the years, 00:05:23 we have to continue on making these changes, 00:05:27 transforming our thinking and our desires. 00:05:30 Now, why is that such a challenge? 00:05:32 Well, we know for a start 00:05:34 that we have a tendency to do what’s wrong because we’re sinful. 00:05:39 There are all sorts of wrong attitudes and thoughts 00:05:42 that are perhaps lying dormant in our personality. 00:05:46 It could be a matter of prejudice; 00:05:48 it could be a racial viewpoint, 00:05:50 hatred, pride, greed. 00:05:54 And these things we could liken to weeds in a garden. 00:05:57 Any of us who have done gardening realize 00:06:00 that just because you took the weeds out one time, 00:06:03 doesn’t mean that’s a onetime effort, does it? 00:06:07 They tend to grow back. 00:06:09 So we constantly need to be on the watch to make sure 00:06:12 that these weedlike tendencies, or traits, that we may have 00:06:16 don’t grow back. 00:06:18 And, of course, the other thing is we’re surrounded by Satan and his world. 00:06:23 And Satan’s world is always trying to influence us. 00:06:27 Let’s take our Bibles and turn together, please, 00:06:30 to the book of Ephesians 00:06:32 —Ephesians 4:18. 00:06:37 And notice here how it describes Satan’s world. 00:06:41 It’s the opposite to what we should be doing. 00:06:45 It says: “They are in darkness mentally 00:06:48 “and alienated from the life that belongs to God, 00:06:51 “because of the ignorance that is in them, 00:06:54 because of the insensitivity [or, the “dulling,” ftn.] of their hearts.” 00:06:59 So Satan is trying to muddy the waters, we might say, 00:07:04 trying to get us mentally to be dull 00:07:07 —to not be receptive to God’s Word. 00:07:11 So that’s why we need to continue 00:07:13 to “be transformed by making [our] mind over.” 00:07:17 But how can we do that? 00:07:20 Well, we’re not going to discuss at depth 00:07:24 the physical explanation with regard to neurons and synapses 00:07:28 (this is early in the morning for that), 00:07:31 but we do need to understand 00:07:33 a little bit of how the mind works. 00:07:35 You see, basically we can say 00:07:38 that when we have new thoughts, 00:07:40 or new concepts, that come into our mind, 00:07:43 it’s as if symbolically there are little pathways 00:07:47 that are formed in our mind. 00:07:50 And the more that we think about certain things, 00:07:53 the more solid, we might say, or more permanent, 00:07:56 these pathways become. 00:07:58 So maybe we could illustrate it this way: 00:08:02 You see, as we’re starting to learn new things, 00:08:06 it’s as if we’re going through the jungle. 00:08:09 And as we’re cutting our way through the jungle, 00:08:12 at first, it is very difficult. 00:08:15 Perhaps, we could say, it’s like learning a new language. 00:08:19 We all know (if we’ve tried to do that) that at first, it is very, very difficult. 00:08:24 It’s like cutting your way through a jungle path. 00:08:28 Or if you’re trying to learn something new, like driving an automobile, 00:08:32 it can seem very difficult. 00:08:34 But what do we realize? 00:08:35 The more often we do something, then what happens? 00:08:39 These symbolic pathways in our minds 00:08:42 become easier to walk along. 00:08:45 On the other hand, of course, if we do something once 00:08:49 but we don’t continue to do it, what happens? 00:08:52 It’s as if the jungle grows back, 00:08:54 and it becomes difficult to do things again. 00:08:58 So, what’s the point for us to get from this? 00:09:02 Well, in our personal study, our meditation, 00:09:05 and when we try to apply the things that we learn, 00:09:08 we shouldn’t always look for new things. 00:09:11 You see, sometimes we might say: “Well, I’ve read that publication already. 00:09:15 I don’t need to reread it.” 00:09:17 Yes, you do. 00:09:18 Why? 00:09:19 Because just because you cut a path in your mind through the jungle 00:09:24 doesn’t mean to say that that path 00:09:27 is always going to remain easy to pass through. 00:09:30 No, it’s good for us to go back again 00:09:34 and go over and over the same things. 00:09:37 And what happens? 00:09:39 That symbolic pathway in our mind 00:09:41 becomes easier for us to go along, 00:09:44 and we can truly say 00:09:46 that we have been “transformed by making [our] mind over.”
00:00:01 “Be transformed by making your mind over” 00:00:06 —what really is involved with this process? 00:00:10 Well, when we analyze this verse 00:00:12 at Romans 12:2, 00:00:15 perhaps there are four things initially that we need to remember. 00:00:19 First of all, to whom was Paul writing under inspiration? 00:00:24 Well, he was writing to Christians 00:00:28 who were anointed, who were faithful, 00:00:30 and yet he used an imperative form, 00:00:33 saying: “Be transformed.” 00:00:35 He didn’t say, “You were already transformed.” 00:00:39 So that’s an interesting point for us because when we read these words, 00:00:43 it’s not just a matter of us remembering what happened to us in the past 00:00:47 when we became Christians, 00:00:49 but it’s something that we need to focus on now. 00:00:53 And that’s highlighted by the second point: 00:00:56 that in the original language, the verbs used here 00:00:59 indicate a continual process, 00:01:02 not just something that happens once and that’s it. 00:01:06 And the third point: 00:01:08 that it indicates a complete change. 00:01:12 Now, many of us remember that the Greek word here 00:01:15 involves a complete change. 00:01:18 “Metamorphosis” is the word that comes from that. 00:01:21 And that reminds us of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. 00:01:25 Now, by this, we’re not inferring that we all have to become butterflies. 00:01:29 But the point highlighted is that it’s a complete change 00:01:33 from something that is one form to another. 00:01:37 So in a similar way, 00:01:39 with regard to our personality, 00:01:41 this is not just a superficial change, 00:01:44 as if we were changing our clothing 00:01:47 but, rather, a deep-down change that involves our personality. 00:01:51 So we change from one person to another. 00:01:55 Of course, this takes time. 00:01:58 And that’s the fourth point we need to keep in mind: 00:02:01 It’s a gradual process. 00:02:03 Not always is it just completely progressing in a positive sense. 00:02:08 Sometimes, for many of us, 00:02:10 we make some progress and then slip back a little, 00:02:13 and then we make some further progress. 00:02:15 But the main thing is that we’re making progress. 00:02:19 Yes, this is not just something that you do one time, and that’s it forever. 00:02:23 That’s highlighted by an experience 00:02:26 in The Watchtower back in 1977 00:02:30 of a brother, Harry Yoshikawa, from Hawaii. 00:02:34 He was a very large Japanese brother. 00:02:37 But before coming into the truth, he was a street brawler. 00:02:41 And, in fact, the article (his life experience) was 00:02:44 “From Street Brawler to Christian Minister.” 00:02:48 Now, Harry was trained in the martial arts. 00:02:52 He was trained in boxing, and he just enjoyed fighting other people. 00:02:56 But after serving in the military for a while, 00:02:59 eventually he came in contact with the truth, 00:03:02 and he started to make changes. 00:03:05 And his life story perhaps helps us to realize 00:03:08 what’s involved with these changes. 00:03:10 So, of course, he stopped drinking; he stopped fighting. 00:03:14 But Harry goes on to tell us about the first day that he went witnessing. 00:03:18 He was in a market area, holding up the Awake! magazine. 00:03:22 And he was calling out, “Read the Awake!” 00:03:26 Well, all of a sudden, some smart person said to him: 00:03:31 “I’m wide awake so I don’t need that trashy magazine.” 00:03:36 Well, Harry says that at that point, 00:03:38 his old personality returned to him. 00:03:41 He yelled out: “You’re wide awake, huh? 00:03:45 “Well, you won’t be for long. 00:03:47 You’ll be sleeping shortly.” 00:03:50 So Harry took a blow at this man, 00:03:55 who promptly ran, 00:03:57 and Harry chased him for two blocks. 00:04:00 Now, the other brother who was with Harry chased after him, 00:04:05 and fortunately the first man was a fast runner. 00:04:08 And when the other brother caught up with Harry, he said, 00:04:11 “Harry, what would you have done if you caught the man?” 00:04:14 He said, “I would have beat him up.” 00:04:16 And the brother tried to reason with Harry, 00:04:18 “Well, just imagine what a reproach this would be on Jehovah’s name, 00:04:23 I mean, if the police came.” 00:04:25 And Harry said: “No, it wouldn’t be. 00:04:26 “I wouldn’t tell him I was a Witness. 00:04:28 I’d say I was a Pentecostal.” 00:04:32 Well, Harry hadn’t quite made 00:04:35 that complete change. 00:04:37 But later, you see in this picture, as it appeared in The Watchtower, 00:04:41 here’s Harry working with his wife, 00:04:43 doing something that many Asian men would find very hard to do, 00:04:47 helping her in the kitchen. 00:04:49 And for many years, Harry and his wife served very faithfully in the circuit work. 00:04:54 And the change was so different 00:04:56 that many of the brothers and sisters who heard this story about Harry 00:05:00 —who was called, by the way, Tiny the Bruiser— 00:05:04 didn’t really believe that he was such a violent man previously. 00:05:08 So, what do we learn from this? 00:05:11 That this transformation process 00:05:14 may involve some drastic changes in the beginning 00:05:17 that outwardly appear to make someone different. 00:05:20 But gradually over the years, 00:05:23 we have to continue on making these changes, 00:05:27 transforming our thinking and our desires. 00:05:30 Now, why is that such a challenge? 00:05:32 Well, we know for a start 00:05:34 that we have a tendency to do what’s wrong because we’re sinful. 00:05:39 There are all sorts of wrong attitudes and thoughts 00:05:42 that are perhaps lying dormant in our personality. 00:05:46 It could be a matter of prejudice; 00:05:48 it could be a racial viewpoint, 00:05:50 hatred, pride, greed. 00:05:54 And these things we could liken to weeds in a garden. 00:05:57 Any of us who have done gardening realize 00:06:00 that just because you took the weeds out one time, 00:06:03 doesn’t mean that’s a onetime effort, does it? 00:06:07 They tend to grow back. 00:06:09 So we constantly need to be on the watch to make sure 00:06:12 that these weedlike tendencies, or traits, that we may have 00:06:16 don’t grow back. 00:06:18 And, of course, the other thing is we’re surrounded by Satan and his world. 00:06:23 And Satan’s world is always trying to influence us. 00:06:27 Let’s take our Bibles and turn together, please, 00:06:30 to the book of Ephesians 00:06:32 —Ephesians 4:18. 00:06:37 And notice here how it describes Satan’s world. 00:06:41 It’s the opposite to what we should be doing. 00:06:45 It says: “They are in darkness mentally 00:06:48 “and alienated from the life that belongs to God, 00:06:51 “because of the ignorance that is in them, 00:06:54 because of the insensitivity [or, the “dulling,” ftn.] of their hearts.” 00:06:59 So Satan is trying to muddy the waters, we might say, 00:07:04 trying to get us mentally to be dull 00:07:07 —to not be receptive to God’s Word. 00:07:11 So that’s why we need to continue 00:07:13 to “be transformed by making [our] mind over.” 00:07:17 But how can we do that? 00:07:20 Well, we’re not going to discuss at depth 00:07:24 the physical explanation with regard to neurons and synapses 00:07:28 (this is early in the morning for that), 00:07:31 but we do need to understand 00:07:33 a little bit of how the mind works. 00:07:35 You see, basically we can say 00:07:38 that when we have new thoughts, 00:07:40 or new concepts, that come into our mind, 00:07:43 it’s as if symbolically there are little pathways 00:07:47 that are formed in our mind. 00:07:50 And the more that we think about certain things, 00:07:53 the more solid, we might say, or more permanent, 00:07:56 these pathways become. 00:07:58 So maybe we could illustrate it this way: 00:08:02 You see, as we’re starting to learn new things, 00:08:06 it’s as if we’re going through the jungle. 00:08:09 And as we’re cutting our way through the jungle, 00:08:12 at first, it is very difficult. 00:08:15 Perhaps, we could say, it’s like learning a new language. 00:08:19 We all know (if we’ve tried to do that) that at first, it is very, very difficult. 00:08:24 It’s like cutting your way through a jungle path. 00:08:28 Or if you’re trying to learn something new, like driving an automobile, 00:08:32 it can seem very difficult. 00:08:34 But what do we realize? 00:08:35 The more often we do something, then what happens? 00:08:39 These symbolic pathways in our minds 00:08:42 become easier to walk along. 00:08:45 On the other hand, of course, if we do something once 00:08:49 but we don’t continue to do it, what happens? 00:08:52 It’s as if the jungle grows back, 00:08:54 and it becomes difficult to do things again. 00:08:58 So, what’s the point for us to get from this? 00:09:02 Well, in our personal study, our meditation, 00:09:05 and when we try to apply the things that we learn, 00:09:08 we shouldn’t always look for new things. 00:09:11 You see, sometimes we might say: “Well, I’ve read that publication already. 00:09:15 I don’t need to reread it.” 00:09:17 Yes, you do. 00:09:18 Why? 00:09:19 Because just because you cut a path in your mind through the jungle 00:09:24 doesn’t mean to say that that path 00:09:27 is always going to remain easy to pass through. 00:09:30 No, it’s good for us to go back again 00:09:34 and go over and over the same things. 00:09:37 And what happens? 00:09:39 That symbolic pathway in our mind 00:09:41 becomes easier for us to go along, 00:09:44 and we can truly say 00:09:46 that we have been “transformed by making [our] mind over.”
