Romans 12 : 1-3 (NRSV)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
Daily Byte
Sacrifice is an unpopular word today, but in the Old Testament it was a normal part of life. In order to ensure that personal concerns, failures or desires did not break relationship with God, the people of Israel got used to a system of sacrifices - of giving to God out of the very best of their possessions. These sacrifices helped God’s people to remember to whom they belonged, and who was caring for them, forgiving them and providing for them. While sacrifices are always difficult, the cost is worth the reward of intimacy with God. In Romans, Paul reminds the church of all this and invites them into a new sacrificial system - one in which they offer themselves to God completely and whole-heartedly. Through their offering of themselves to God in worship they would become people who were different from people around them - free from the competitiveness, selfishness, aggression and disregard for one another that so often characterises human behaviour. Rather, they would become people who would reflect Christ’s grace, humility and goodness.
How do you feel about the idea of offering yourself as a sacrifice to God? Do you have any hesitations or fears? Can you shift your thinking away from the negative - the cost - of the sacrifice, and toward the positive - the benefit - of greater intimacy with God? Have you experienced how offering yourself to Christ leads you into a more peaceful, humble, loving and fulfilling way of life? If yes, give thanks for this, If no, pray that God would lead you into this “living-sacrifice” kind of living.
Pray As You Go
I’m a little nervous of the word, Jesus;
“sacrifice” sounds so negative, so painful,
so little like the abundant life you promise.
So it takes faith to approach the altar, and lay myself down,
to trust that what dies in me as I worship, is only what keeps me from life, from you,
And that what is resurrected on the other side
is what opens me to true goodness and grace and life.
Give me the courage and the love for you
to offer myself as a living sacrifice
to die everyday, so that everyday I can truly live.
Amen.
Today’s devotion is taken from Rev John van de Laar’s outstanding book ‘The Hour That Changes Everything: How worship forms us into the people God wants us to be.’ Used with permission.
To order copies of this book and for other superb worship resources visit http://www.sacredise.com
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