"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."
I saw the Global Leadership Summit over last week and again find myself inspired. Bill Hybels is always a powerful speaker. He was followed by people such as Colin Powell, Patrick Lencioni, Liz Wiseman, Chris Brown, Joseph Grenny, Dr. Brene Brown (she was great) - just to name a few. Andy Stanley capped off the event with a powerful message about the body of Christ. Each of the speakers urged us to better our leadership abilities as organizational leaders.
That word urge is very interesting. In the context of the verse above, Paul was urging in the sense of teaching or encouraging the Roman congregation in order to strengthen them. Sometimes I wonder how urgent we take our faith.
Paul urges us in the view of God's mercy. The word for mercy used by Paul comes from the word pity. God shows compassion to those who call upon Him - those who recognize their need for Him. We cannot escape the plight of our fate without God's offering of escape. His compassion creates a path to relationship with Him. Sin had cut us off. So when we offer our bodies to God, we are working with God to stay away from the areas in life that keep us separated from Him and learning a new lifestyle that helps develop our relationship instead. We have to be just as active in our faith as God is.
We are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. We have life because of Christ - life more abundant. As a sacrifice we accept Christ's death in our place and live because of it. As to being holy, we are to live a blameless life or one that shows our commitment to a relationship with God through Christ.
As to being acceptable, God gets pleasure out of seeing us really live. Sin promotes a life filled with death - spiritual, physical, and emotional. Our life in Christ is a life filled with peace, love, and hope. Living in a growing relationship with God brings pleasure to Him, and He in turn brings joy to us - the greatest being eternal life.
To live outright for God without shame or guilt is very reasonable. God has done so much for us to require so little of us. Service lasts throughout our life on earth. Service extends into our relationships with others. Service aids us in sharing our convictions in faith. Service empowers us to serve others. Service sounds like a lot but it is so little compared to what God has prepared for us.
Think about this the next time your calendar says you do not have time for God or for service. Are you living? I urge you in view of God's mercy to present yourself to God. You may just find out how much life you are missing.
Reccommended reading from the conference:
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business
Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition
Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
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