Becoming

— Romans 12:2

I listened to a young woman on the news passionately share her “progressive” view of life. She spoke with conviction, certain of her truth — but behind the confidence, I heard something else: emptiness. It made me think back to my younger years, when my own view of life was centered entirely on me.

I voted for what helped me.

I worked for what pleased me.

I chased what made me happy.

Then I got married, and life began to change. My decisions now affected more than myself. My priorities shifted from what I wanted to what was best for my family.

Now, as a grandfather, my view has widened even more. I find myself asking questions I never asked before: What kind of world will my grandchildren inherit? What will truth mean to them in a culture that constantly changes its definitions?

Will they even know what it feels like to speak truth freely — or will fear silence them before they can?

The culture around us is shifting faster than ever. We live in a world where men claim to be women and demand to be celebrated for it. Where the family — God’s first institution — is being dismantled in the name of “progress.” Where morality is treated as a personal choice, and absolute truth is mocked as intolerance.

Our children are taught that feelings matter more than facts. They are told to “live their truth” instead of living in the truth. We celebrate rebellion and call it authenticity. We glorify confusion and call it courage. We redefine words until they lose all meaning, and then we wonder why the world feels so lost.

We have raised a generation that worships visibility over virtue, comfort over conviction, and emotion over endurance. We have become experts at expressing ourselves — and failures at examining ourselves.

And yet, all of this reminds me that life has always been about becoming. Every day, every decision, every influence shapes who we are becoming — by what we believe, what we love, what we tolerate, and what we pursue.

If I hold on to anger, I will become bitter.

If I make peace with sin, I will become numb to truth.

If I seek God’s wisdom and walk humbly with Him, I will become wise.

The truth is this: we are all becoming what we allow.

Look around. Many are becoming entitled — believing the world owes them comfort, success, and affirmation. Many are becoming desensitized — scrolling past evil as if it were entertainment. Many are becoming deceived — convinced that truth can be bent to fit their feelings. And sadly, many are becoming cowards — silent when God’s truth demands a voice.

Proverbs 14:12 warns, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

Dallas Willard once wrote, “The most important thing in your life is not what you do; it is who you become.”

That could not be more true today.

But here is the hope: when you stand on the truth of God’s Word — when you refuse to conform to the patterns of this world — you become something different. You become strong in conviction. You become anchored when others drift. You become a light in a generation addicted to darkness.

Standing on God’s principles will make you stand out — and sometimes that means standing alone. You will be labeled, criticized, and even rejected. But that is the price of becoming different in a world that worships conformity.

So as I grow older, I am learning to ask better questions:

Am I becoming more like Christ — patient, courageous, faithful, and true? Or am I slowly blending in with the noise around me?

Age does not define what we become — surrender does. Every day, God gives us the choice: to conform or to be transformed.

We cannot stop the shouting of culture, but we can choose who we become within it. Our grandchildren are watching. The next generation needs examples of men and women who are not swayed by emotion or trends, but anchored in eternal truth.

And that is why I have told my grandchildren to be heads, not tails — to lead, not follow; to stand when others bow; to walk in truth even when the crowd walks away. Because when we stand on God’s Word, we do not just become different — we become the difference this world desperately needs.