“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:2

Renewing Minds, Transforming Lives
by Millard Fuller

A consistent theme throughout the Bible is that change is necessary to please God.

Initially, a change in the way we think is necessary. We must think about things from God’s point of view. When that shift occurs in our thinking, the world looks different; our own lives are seen in a different way. And, our neighbors, both near and far, are viewed differently.

As the scripture from Romans admonishes, we should be transformed by renewing our mind in order to line up our thinking with that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

With transformed thinking, our actions are different and we begin to transform the physical world around us.

That’s what is happening in the growing work of Habitat for Humanity around the world. Sensitive and transformed people, including Habitat staff, volunteers, partners and donors, are increasingly seeing their neighbors in need of adequate housing and they are taking action to change things. They are building, renovating and repairing houses by the thousands—some 20,000 will be completed this year. Those thousands of houses will be home to 100,000 people.

The lives of the people living in those houses also may be transformed, as they escape the inadequate and miserable living conditions of drafty, overcrowded, leaky apartments and houses. With decent shelter, children can excel in school. Parents get along better. Hope blossoms. Human development is realized as a result of transformed people sharing a bit of God’s love.

I’ve seen firsthand what transformation is all about as my wife, Linda, and I travel the world with Habitat. I see it in the faces of dedicated staff and volunteers who work faithfully to build more houses. I see it in the faces of donors who realize what their donations accomplish. Most of all, I see it in the faces, the smiles and happy tears of homeowner mothers and fathers and children whose lives are powerfully changed simply because they finally have a good and decent place to call home.

I thank and praise God for every transformed heart that makes so much other transformation possible.

— Millard Fuller is founder and president of Habitat for Humanity International.