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1 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. 2 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. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 3 I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. 4 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. 5 The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, 6 let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; 7 if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; 8 if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. (Romans 12:1-9 The Message Bible)
A question that tripped up many a candidate for ordained ministry was to explain what it meant to be set apart for ministry. Some had no clue. Some had a bit of a clue, and some knew exactly what that meant. When God calls one to faith, one should respond in kind. God gave us for us, and we should give our all to Him. When one joins the military, the first few months are spent in training recruits into becoming a visible, integrated part of the organization. The haircut, the uniform, the shoes, the language, etc., all show to the world, this recruit is a part of the U. S. Army, Air Force, etc. The art of interacting between leaders and followers is also taught and is expected to be followed. The soldiers, sailors, aviators, etc. are truly set apart and their mission is instilled in them. What happens to Christians?
The Apostle Paul knew about Romans soldiers and that's why he wrote about the full armor of God, but he understood the discipline and training and so his instructions come from a disciplined man of structure. He lays out his plan for new believers by saying, turn your everyday, ordinary life, and he includes all aspects of life: sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and even our "walking-around life" and present it to God as an offering. And couple your offering to God with a grateful heart for all that God has done for you. Paul knows that we should focus on God; this will bring about a complete change from the inside out if we are receptive to God. No longer will we be dragged down by the culture or society, instead we will be lifted up above immaturity, and God will bring out the best in us, and that includes a level of maturity. Ours is a call to live in grace, knowing and sharing that it is God who brings this out in us. It is all about God and not us or anything we could possibly do on our own. To God belongs the glory.
Paul further believes that in our service to God as He may direct, we become like an integral part of God's body. We, as individual parts of this same body, as we are led, have unique but vital roles to play in serving God. But our meaning and identity comes from the belonging to the body "as a whole, not the other way around." And this, Paul says, if the Body of Christ. We further find our meaning and function as being a part of the body.
Paul says for us to be who we were made to be, without stooping down to worrying about pride or envy, or comparing ourselves and our work to others and their work. All work for the good of God and God's people. Paul stresses that if we are called to preach, we should preach the Message of God and nothing else. If we've been called to help we should just help without trying to take over and be in charge. If we've been called to teach we should teach. If we're called to give guidance or encouragement, we should do it without trying to lord it over others. If we're called to be in charge, then we should lead without manipulating others. If we have been called to give, we should give readily and openly; and if we're called to work with the disadvantaged we cannot get iritated or depressed by our work. And part of who we are and how we dress should include a smile on our face.
Dear ones, we have received a blueprint for how we should live our lives. Our lives in Christ Jesus should be transformed and purposeful. We should live as surrendered souls to the Lord who recognize our call to service in ways that will bring honor and glory to God. We should dedicate ourselves in love to love God and one another in faithful and fruitful people.
PRAYER: Loving God we are thankful for this passage in which we can live as transformed followers of Jesus. May we desire to be living sacrifices who offer ourselves to wholehearted service and worship. Receive this prayer of faith in Christ Jesus in Whose names we pray, amen.
Have a great aned blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Be a living sacrifice to God in ways that bless others.
Receive my blessings of love and joy,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
