Saturday, September 10, 2016
Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR?
If the above question is on some kind of official survey, then our answer will be the name of a company, organization or individual-- or we'll check the box for "self-employed." If the question is being asked in an ultimate sense, then most people would answer self or family. But the inspired Apostle here urges us to remember that because of God's mercy in Christ we have been "bought with a price and are not our own" (1 Corinthians 6:20). We believe that by God's grace we are no longer enslaved by sin and paralyzed by self-centeredness. We belong to the Lord who laid down His life for us.
We belong to Jesus. Every task we take up and whatever work we do is an opportunity to honor our Savior-- and so to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. That is, instead of dead animals and fresh-cut produce you and I can bring our words and actions, our work and labor as thank-offerings to the Lord. It's no longer all about us. Our reputation. Our paycheck. Our goals. We work for Christ! In all we do we are His servants and His representatives.
There is a old European hotel that places in its lobby each Christmas season a beautiful carved creche. Mary, Joseph, and the Christ-child. Among those who reverently kneel before the Son of God made man are not only shepherds and wise men, but peopple from the village, the baker and his wife, a basket weaver and a fruit seller, the hunter and the florist and the fisherman, etc. They all bring gifts representing their trade or profession. Whatever they make or do, they offer in honor of the Savior. May God grant we take our place with them, not in carved miniature but in our everyday lives.
For one might accurately paraphrase Paul's Spirit-given words in Romans 12:1 this way:
Here's what I want you to do in the strength and joy of Christ's forgiveness: Take your everyday, ordinary life-- your sleeping, waking, eating, going to work and walking around life-- and place it before God as an offering.
