Scripture for Week of January 1-4
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
12 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. 2 Do not conform 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.
What really speaks to me is; do not conform to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. With all the current events going on it would be easy to jump on that band wagon and become a part of that negativity. As in the old saying, misery loves company. However, knowing I have God to lead me and direct me brings me comfort during these very difficult and trying times. I really believe the Lord is using these current times as a adamant challenge to be the light. As in darkness is when our light can shine the brightest. If we follow His word, and lead by example, and fellowship with others….we can be the beacon He wants and needs us to be. We need to renew our minds everyday through scripture and devotion and prayer to be able to not conform to the world. It can be done, because the Lord has given me all the tools to do so, and an instruction manual as well.
By truly placing Jesus as my first love and having no other gods before him can I completely give myself as an offering of worship. Praise God that he 1st loved me that I might be free from the grasp of this world and trying to walk in the spirit daily through His Power.
All aspects of who I am, from physical to spiritual, is all about
honoring my Heavenly Father. This is how I am to truly and effectively
experience the presence of Jesus in my life. Anything less is falling short
of His will for me.
As I read this passage, what really speaks to me is: “…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. One author says; “Half of spiritual growth is learning what we don’t know. The other half is unlearning what we do know”.
The author goes on to say; “Just as a computer hard drive needs to be defragmented to optimize performance, our minds need to be defragmented. So how do we defragment our faith? How do we renew our minds? How do we get ourselves out of the mental pit we’ve gotten ourselves into? The way to upgrade your mind is to download Scripture.”
“When we read Scripture, we are recruiting new nerve cells and rewiring neuronal connections. In a sense, we are downloading a new operating system that reconfigures the mind. We stop thinking human thoughts and start thinking God thoughts.”
Thank you for reminding me that I need to ‘download’ scripture daily in order to stay in tune with God (hearing what He has to say) and grow spiritually.
The highest calling and privilege of man is to bring honor and glory to the Creator through a life of worship. This is the very reason we were created – to put a smile on God’s face! But what is worship? I have come to believe worship is giving all who I am to all who He is to position Him in His rightful place on the throne of my life. It requires giving my mind’s attention, heart’s affection and life’s ambition fully to the Lord.
In 1 Chronicles 16:29, we find an amazing passage calling us to the heart of worship.
For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. Ascribe to the LORD, families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
As I reflect on this amazing passage of ascription to the Lord, I am struck by the phrase, “bring an offering.” I am reminded that authentic worship requires I bring something to the dance – and what I am to bring is me as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). My very life is to be an act of worship. So whether I am gathering with other believers to worship or spending time alone with God in solitude, I am called to live for the single purpose of putting a smile on God’s face.
Unfortunately, I fear we have moved into an era where we have substituted worship at church for the true worship of God. We have mistakenly exchanged singing songs and getting lost in the emotion of the moment for life submission to the heart and purposes of God. This is not to say the elements of the corporate gathering are frivolous, but that they are only one dimension of meaningful and fulfilling worship.
As I have searched the Scripture, I have come to believe the activity of worship must first occur in solitude before it can ever be warranted in public. A worship leader friend once asked a powerful question in the corporate worship setting I have not soon forgotten – “Have you brought your worship with you today.” This question pierced me because I have long understood that worship is not something we do on Sunday morning for 30 minutes to music; it is a disposition of surrender in every aspect of our lives 24/7/365.
To be a contributor in the corporate worship setting requires that we have been a private worshipper the other days of the week. In reflecting on Psalm 51, David reminds us that God does not delight in our manufactured offerings but in a broken and contrite heart. What I have discovered in my own experience is when I worship privately, God washes over me to humble and teach me about how great He really is and how He desire to live and move in and through me. This occurs because in private worship there is no false pretense – it is just you and God. In private worship we draw near to the Father to become the living sacrifice he longs for us to become publicly.