Marriage and Family Meditations L II (52)
Psalm 104:34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD.
Cornerstone Ministries Napa Valley
Christian Relationships
Marriage–Christ and the Church
Who Serves Who?
(Having a Right Relationship with God)
Dear Family and Friends,
Those of you who have taken the time to read and meditate on these blog entries have seen how important and precious our relationship with the Lord is. We have looked at how a loving relationship with our Creator translates into healthy loving relationships in our families and in the church. In this passage from Paul’s letter to the church we are reminded of how we are to approach God and why. I hope this will cause us all think about the way we relate to our God and Savior day by day.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 3For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Despite what some have claimed this is not my only favorite verse, but I do appreciate the depth of understanding that we can gain from meditating on these inspired words from Paul’s letter. Because of the great mercy of God in our lives, Paul “beseeches” (exhorts and encourages) us to present our bodies as “living sacrifices”.
Note: The logic goes like this; because we are the recipients of God’s mercy, and have been made holy and acceptable to Him through His sacrificial death and resurrection, it is only reasonable that we should present ourselves for service to Him as “living sacrifices”. He had mercy on us and offers us eternal life so that we can live with and serve the eternal living God.
How do we approach God day to day? Do we come asking Him to serve us, to meet out needs, to provide for our aspirations and desires, or do we come to Him seeking His will and purposes. Do we come humbly desiring to please Him and to know what He wants from our lives? When we talk to God, do we pray as Jesus taught us; “Thy will be done” or is it more like ‘my will be done’? I am sure that in your lives, just as in my life, it is too often the latter, more than the former.
Let us look again at Paul’s exhortation with regards to how we are to respond. He says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” He says, none of us should “think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly”. We should seek to “prove” (scrutinize, to recognize, or deem worthy) the “good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
So we should examine ourselves in light of this scripture; what is on our hearts to do, day by day month by month through out our lives? What does our life show, to our family, our church, and our friends? Are we seeking to be conformed to this world; meeting its expectations, its purposes, and its aspirations? Are we trying to satisfy ourselves with the things that the world offers, even seeking to solicit God’s help to accomplish worldly recognition and stature? Or… do we come to God with the desire to “prove” what is good and acceptable to Him, to understand His purposes, to present ourselves to Him to fulfill His perfect will for our lives?
May our gracious God teach us and transform our minds and hearts to be men and women who do “present ourselves to Him as “living sacrifices” serving Him and pleasing Him in all that we do. May we see ourselves as Paul did when he wrote;
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Blessings and Love to All in Jesus Vince