A Living Scarifice

Romans 12:1 (NIV)

“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.”

Dear Friends,

When we think about worship, we often think about singing a hymn, attending church, praying, or reading Scripture. Those are certainly expressions of worship, but Paul gives us a much bigger picture in Romans 12:1.

Worship is not simply something we do. It is how we live.

Paul challenges us to offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. That means placing our entire lives before Him, our plans, ambitions, relationships, abilities, resources, struggles, disappointments, and future and saying: “Lord, it all belongs to You.”

In View of His Mercy

Notice where Paul begins: “in view of God’s mercy.” Our surrender to God is not an attempt to earn His love. It is our response to the love and mercy He has already shown us.

When we remember what Christ has done for us, His sacrifice, His forgiveness, His grace, and the hope we have through Him, our response should be gratitude.

God gave Himself for us. Now Paul invites us to give ourselves to Him.

The Challenge of a Living Sacrifice

There is something interesting about Paul’s words. He doesn’t ask us simply to make a sacrifice. He asks us to become a living sacrifice. That means surrender isn’t a one-time decision. It is a daily choice. Every morning we have another opportunity to place ourselves before God and say: “Father, this day is Yours.”

My schedule is Yours.

My work is Yours.

My family is Yours.

My abilities are Yours.

My disappointments are Yours.

My future is Yours.

Use my life for Your purposes today.

The challenge with being a living sacrifice is that we sometimes want to climb back off the altar. We surrender something to God and then take it back.

We tell Him we trust Him and then begin worrying again.

We give Him our plans and then try to control the outcome.

That is why surrender must become a way of life.

Worship in Everyday Life

Paul says offering ourselves to God is our “true and proper worship.” That means worship can happen anywhere. 

We worship when we show kindness to someone who needs encouragement.

We worship when we choose integrity when no one is watching.

We worship when we serve without needing recognition.

We worship when we forgive.

We worship when we use our gifts to help someone else.

We worship when we trust God through circumstances we do not understand.

And sometimes one of the greatest acts of worship is simply saying: “Lord, I don’t understand what You are doing, but I still trust You.”

Still, I Will!

Maybe today God is asking you to place something back on the altar. A dream. A relationship. A career. A disappointment. A fear. A future you thought would look different. Or perhaps He is simply asking for you. Not part of you. Not just Sunday morning. Not just the parts of your life that are convenient to surrender. All of you.

Romans 12:1 reminds us that the Christian life is not about giving God a small portion of ourselves. It is about giving Him everything.

So today, we can pray:

Still, I will surrender.

Still, I will trust.

Still, I will serve.

Still, I will worship.

And still, I will place my life in the hands of the One who first gave His life for me.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the incredible mercy You have shown me through Jesus Christ. Today I offer my life to You as a living sacrifice. Take my plans, my abilities, my relationships, my struggles, and my future and use them for Your glory. When I am tempted to take back what I have surrendered, remind me that Your ways are better than mine. Help me live each day as an act of worship, trusting You, serving others, and following wherever You lead.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection

What is one area of my life that I need to place fully in God’s hands today?

Am I treating worship as something I do or as the way I live?

What would it look like for me to be a “living sacrifice” today? 

With Unshakable Hope,

Scott

Still, I Will! Ministries

stilliwill.org