Romans 12:1-2 (Message)
So
here’s what I want you to do, God helping you:
Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work,
and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best
thing you can do for Him. Don’t become
so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even
thinking. Instead, fix your attention on
God. You’ll be changed from the inside
out. Readily recognize what He wants
from you, and quickly respond to it….
These two verses are among my life verses. They speak regarding the discipline of the
body and mind—obedience, service, thought life, discipline (especially against
bad habits, even addictions). Romans 12:1
in standard Bible translations states to present your body a living and holy
sacrifice (an example of a Biblical oxymoron) that the Message translation
interprets as placing your body before God as an offering.
The world value system centers on gratification of self not the sacrifice
of self. God says that giving our lives to Him is the way to a meaningful life
experience. A “living sacrifice” is one
dead to selfish desires, but alive to God and dedicated to His service. Our activities need to be under the control
of God’s Spirit working in us.
Submission is an act of the will.
Today, will you say, “God, here I am, use me” Will you allow God to work
in you to conform you to His will?
Submit yourself to Jesus and allow Him to live through you each day.
Romans 12:2 is the key to presenting our bodies to God as an offering (a
living and holy sacrifice). This tells
of the need for “change from inside out”, a transformation to get our minds
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For
that to happen there must be renewal of your mind. Your mind is the control center of your
attitudes, thoughts, feelings and actions.
Renewing your mind means changing your thinking. Listen to what II Corinthians 10:5b
says—“….taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”. Certainly, your enemy---Satan---knows that
the mind is the bulls-eye of his attacks against you. You have to resist him (James 4:7) and he
will flee!
Your goal must be to let God work in your mind and heart in as many ways
as possible to make you more like His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Those many ways include daily communication
with God via prayer and Bible study and fellowship with other believers. You know how well you are doing in achieving
these goals and daily practices. Keep
asking God for help and telling Him “here I am Lord, use me”.
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