A Living Sacrifice

On Sunday my pastor gave an awesome message. The whole thing was about "keeping a God perspective". We get so caught up in what's going on in our culture, what other people think of us and what we want for our own lives, that we can forget to stop and see what God says about it all. There were great lessons throughout the entire sermon but one thing jumped out at me and has been in the forefront of my mind since.

He said that we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God. Romans 12:1 puts it this way:

"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."

I've been thinking about the word "sacrifice". One of the dictionary's definitions of this word is:

"to surrender or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else."

To me this means that one is to let go or set aside something. If we are surrendering this thing then it is likely something we would really like to hold onto. We are only giving it up for something better, or may I say more important. I think of a child who has just one cookie left and is getting ready to eat it but when he sees a child who has no cookies, he gives his last one to the other child. Now we know that the first child really would rather eat the cookie himself but he surrendered it so the other child could have some. It was for a greater cause than his own enjoyment.

The pastor taked about Gideon in Judges, chaper 6. God told Gideon in Judges 6:25-25,

"Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God."

In my notes I wrote, "I must tear down the diseased altars in my life before I can build a new altar to God." Tearing down the diseased altars means getting rid of everything in my life that isn't godly or that takes away from time I should be spending doing the things God has given me to do. How can I do a job for God if a part of my life is tainted? God wants my whole life not just the parts I would readily like to give. It will be tough, as sacrifices are, but I must give every thing that I am for God to use as He sees fit. This is my "spiritual act of worship".

Look Ahead

While walking through the church parking lot today, my sister told my niece to stop and look for cars. So she stopped after she crossed the lane and looked behind her. My sister told her to look ahead of her not where she had already been. I told her that would make a good sermon. I've been thinking about it all day.

All too often people obsess about what has happened in the past. We keep saying, "if ony I had done that differently." I really like a new show called "Being Erica". It is about just that. She has a list of regrets that her therapist keeps track of. Erica says that if she could do such-and-such differently then her life would be better now. So the doctor sends her back in time so she can make different decisions. It's funny because things are still essentially the same when she comes back. The main difference is how Erica now reacts to what's going on around her. The changes are inner ones, not ones that alter history, which is what we all want. We would all like a do-over someplace in our lives.

For Christians we are given a do-over. No, we can't go back and alter history. When we accept Christ our past is forgiven and forgotten in the eyes of God. But, our future is altered! Because of Christ we are no longer the same person we were before. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says,

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

And, Philippians 3:13 says,

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."

And, Isaiah 43:18 says,

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."

We don't have to worry about or dwell on the past any longer. In fact, it is useless! God has already repaired the past and has prepared our future. When we are looking behind us we will miss what is ahead of us, just like my niece who was looking behind her and almost didn't see the car coming in front of her. Why worry about what God has already brought us through? Why not be ever watchful for what He is bringing anew instead!

Life Happens

Life rarely turns out exactly as we think it will. We have our "what-do-you-want-to-be" dreams when we are young. Sometimes we do end up right where we thought we would. But, most often, we take detours along the way. All kinds of life happens between our early dreams and where we finally land.

The story of Jonah is a perfect example. God told Jonah to go in one direction and because of his fear of the destination, he went in the exact opposite direction. A whole lot of life happens between when Jonah first received his assignment from God and the day he actually carried it out.

Look at Moses' Israelites. (I most identify with Moses, by the way) God set them free and told them to go to the Promised Land. Life got in the way for those people for 40 years! They kept making their own choices, which caused them to continue walking in circles. When the people finally did make it to the Promised Land, all of the older (original to the Exodus) generation was gone. But, the people did make it to the destination that God had planned all along.

Life gets in the way for me because of bad choices or just going my own way. Sometimes I feel like those wandering Israelites. I take comfort, though, because God promises me that,

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Since God always keeps his promises, I know I will end up right where he wants me to be~~in spite of all the life happening in between!

Signs of the Creator

I love Spring! I love the very beginning of spring, which is the ending of winter. The earth stretches, shakes off the cold and starts to wake up. Each day brings another sign of new growth, new life and the promise of brighter tomorrows.

Today, as I drove over the dam near my home, I was reminded of the first spring after I found the Lord. It was as if I had never seen colors before! And, today was no different. I always look for "the purple trees". It is such a vibrant purple against the backdrop of winter's leftover browns. As I drove on, I was reminded of Psalms 96:

1"Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
11Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
12Let the fields be jubilant, and everthing in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

The trees' new spring adornment rose up out of the ravine like the earth's first new songs of the year. I love all the seasons really but, Spring is the one that brings forth new life, forever a sign of our loving Creator!