Love sacrifices.
“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 right and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1)
“A Living Sacrifice”. It’s a cute phrase. So popular in the church- but what does it mean?
It means the heart is still beating when you place it on the altar. It means you don’t get carried to the altar against your will; it means you are an active participant in laying your will down at His feet. It means that no matter how uncomfortable it is, you have experienced God’s overwhelming love and mercy and understand that the only worthy response is complete surrender.
Even if it hurts.
Even if you’ll look dumb.
Even if you have to walk alone.
Even if you’ve gotten comfortable with the blessing He gave (remember Abraham and Isaac?)
What things do you need to be an active participant in sacrificing? Pride, fornication, lying, people-pleasing? The list could consume our entire year together. That means that for as long as we live, there will be some aspect of ourselves to surrender. As long as we live in the flesh, we will have to actively offer our hearts, our will, our desires to God. Today when we say “I love You more,” we leave it open-ended, leaving room for God to take whatever He wants and do whatever He wants in us to accomplish His perfect will. If you don’t feel it, it’s not a sacrifice.
Prayer:
God, we’re here at the altar again, living and breathing and willing to give our whole selves to You. Everything is available: our money, our fears, our plans for the future, our “type”. We lay it all down in hopes that You would be pleased, and you would make us more like you in exchange. Thank you for the grace to be willing to sacrifice even the thing that you blessed us with. We will follow Abraham’s example, and declare it an act of worship, trusting that if you ask for it you will replace it with better. Today we declare “the Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.” You finally got me where You want me: living, breathing, loving- always ready to sacrifice.
