In our Haven accountability group, there’s a scripture that the Holy Spirit keeps bringing us back to, over and over again. It’s been about 2 weeks that we’ve been talking, praying, and applying this scripture to our lives and our health. I don’t know about you, but when He does this, I pay attention.
The more we study this scripture, the more God keeps showing us all that sacrificial living is not something to practice only during lent. It’s not something only the super-spiritual folks do. And most importantly, it’s not as hard as we think.
The Message version of Romans 12:1-2 gives us a simple, uncomplicated way that we can live sacrificially:
“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. 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.”
Here’s two points that jump out immediately:
- ‘God helping you’. We don’t have to do it on our own, the battle truly is the Lord’s! We spend so much time trying to be Holy, yet God’s Word tells us that He will help us to live sacrificially.
- ‘Take your everyday, ordinary life’. God wants to be part of everything you do. One member said that she can take God with her when she’s cleaning the toilet or washing the dishes. Although these practices may be beneficial, we don’t need a special prayer closet nor do we need to fast for 40 days to offer ourselves to God. He wants us to offer the simple things that we do each day to Him.
Could it really be this simple?
My friends, instead of saying, “I need to pray more” or “I need to spend more time with God,” take some time wherever you are, whatever you’re doing right now, and let God in—that’s all He wants from us—to invite Him into every area of our lives, not just the parts that we think He would approve of.
It’s that simple, but not always easy to execute because we often forget that He’s always present.
I encourage you to start today to bring God into your everyday life as a form of worship and offering to Him. Set an alarm on your phone as a reminder to write yourself some post-it notes and place them around your house and car. Do whatever it takes to offer yourself and your life as a living sacrifice to Him.
The more you do this, the more you will notice that you will want to please Him with the foods that you put into your body, His temple. Please give it a try and give me your feedback.
P.S. if you are tired of circling the same mountain over and over and want a Christ-centered approach to lasting weight loss without feeling guilty, deprived, or overwhelmed, be sure to sign up for our video course program right away at cathymorenzie.com
I have been on the challenge for this the 7th day. How blessed I am that I saw
Cathy’s challenege. I read my Bible each morning, also reading the whole Bible
this year, but the Blessing I feel on this challenbe is amazing. Went on my am walk with God on my mind, not things I need to do this day.
This is a challenge but oh how good it makes me feel.
Thank you again Cathy