Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer 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.
The two verses written above are the bases for the song Take My Life, and Let It Be. The two main points of Romans 12:1-2 are these. First the instruction is to, “offer your body as a living sacrifice,” and then we are told how to do that. We do it “by the renewing of your mind.” We must learn what it means to be like Jesus, and then act on that new knowledge by becoming what we have learned.
Let’s be honest here friends, to become like Jesus means that we are going to have to fight against our nature. Ephesians 2:3 …Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. To be like Jesus means that we are going to have to think of Him first instead of ourselves. Selfishness becomes a distant memory when we become like Jesus. When we live the love of Jesus we become servants, always thinking about and acting toward the good of others. Even to the point of giving our lives.
I want to tell you about Carter Ng. Carter came into my life a couple of years ago. He had hooked up with Jim Cassity on the golf course, and through that relationship, and Jim’s invitation, Carter started attending worship with us at McDermott Road. Meeting Carter, and having him become a part of my life has been a blessing to me. He is teaching me what it means to be Christ like. Carter is a servant, he lives love, he always thinks of the needs of others. We have a dear brother at McDermott Road who suffered a stroke a few months ago. His name is Fred Raines. Fred also loves people. He thinks of others first, and always reflects the love of Christ onto those around him. Fred has lost movement on one side of his body, and is in a wheel chair. He has to go to therapy a few days every week and Carter is the man who gets him there. Carter knows how difficult it is for Mary, Fred’s wife, to physically handle Fred. Fred is a big man, and Mary is a not so big woman. So Carter takes Fred to his therapy appointments. Carter waits at the door of the church building every Sunday so he can go out and help Fred get out of the car, and into the chair, so he can wheel him into worship. Carter has blessed my life because he is a living model of love.
The first verse of Take my Life offers our lives in “ceaseless praise.” I don’t believe that means simply standing around singing, and proclaiming our love to God. I believe “ceaseless praise” means living our love to Him in everything we do.
Take my Life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee
Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
The song ends with a statement of “living sacrifice.”
Take myself and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee!
Dear God, help me to become a living sacrifice. Help me to be able to say, “for me to live is Christ.’’ Give me the strength to surrender everything I have, and am, to You. I beg You to give me the strength, and maturity it takes to ask You to be in control of my heart, body and soul. Amen.
Till next time,
Grump