Devotion: Sacrifice & Service
Romans 12:1-5
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
One commentary I read as I prepared this devotion indicated that Paul uses the first 11 chapters of Romans to reveal God’s mercy to us when He sent His Son to sacrifice His life for our sins. The last five chapters explain our obligation to God. We can never “earn” our way to forgiveness, but instead, we are freely given God’s mercy, grace and forgiveness. As a result of our love for Jesus, and to give Him glory, we become his “hands,” doing as He would do on earth.
We are to give our bodies as a living sacrifice. In Biblical times, the very best animal was killed and placed on the altar. Instead, God wants us to be “living sacrifices” where we daily lay aside our own desires to follow Him, give our energy and resources to Him and trust Him to help us navigate a sinful world. He wants us to give our best. He wants us to be set apart and dedicated to His service. As each weekend worship service ends, we say, “Now let the real worship and service begin.” It is the service we do in our church, our community and in the world that is the real worship.
As we grow in our Christian walk with God, we will be transformed from the inside out. Our thinking will be changed by the Holy Spirit and we will begin to know how God is calling us; God isn’t calling us all in the same way.
As I sat in my Adult Bible Study class on Sunday, I was struck by the gifts that God has given each individual. It shows in the talents they bring to serve our congregation and community. Some are good at teaching others. Some are given the gift of a beautiful voice. Some are given the talent of hospitality. Some are good at mission work. Some are good at empathy during hospital visits. Some have the talents of building and working with others to serve the poor. Some are gifted with biblical knowledge, history and translation. Some have a special affinity for serving the poor. Some are gifted in healing. Some are gifted in understanding other cultures and how they can shape you. God has given us the raw skills and talents and the encouragement and ability to hone those skills to strengthen each other in our faith. There are many members in Christ’s church—but one body.
We are called to be a living sacrifice to God. We can give our talents to God by doing the service that He is waiting for us to do. God freely gives these gifts so we, in turn, can use them to serve others.
It is probably no accident that this scripture is the theme for the weekend of November 11, Veterans Day. It is a day when we honor the sacrifice and service of those who have served in the military. These men and women have given so much for the love and service of their country. Some individuals have lost their very lives in an effort to make a safer world. They did not think of themselves, but instead, thought of their country and other countries across the globe. Many other servicemen and women were seriously injured in body, mind and spirit; but all gave the critical sacrifice of being away from home and family and using their skills for others. May God bless their sacrifice and service. In the same way, we are to be a sacrifice and give service to God.
Dear heavenly Father, give me the guidance to discern and use the gifts You have bestowed upon me. Let me be a living sacrifice by becoming Your “hands” on earth doing what I was called to do. And most importantly, let me do the work to give You the glory. Thank you too, dear Father, for giving others talents that help me to grow as a Christian. Be with our servicemen and women and their families as they sacrifice and serve our nation. Keep them safe and let them know how much You love them. In your Holy and Precious Name, Amen.
Written by Julie Johnson