What To Give God
Living Sacrifices
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. 2 Do 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.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Bee's Thoughts:
At my JOE blog, I shared about my thoughts on "My Christmas Gifts" and touched on the 5 cards I sent out this Christmas to 5 special people in my life.
Now, what can I give to God if I say that I love Him or that I am learning to love Him more? Firstly, I am learning to give Him my time... not my left-over or sleepy time, but the freshiest part of my day, as my devoted time for Him. Yet is that enough?
The above verses say I also need to give God my body... i.e. my hands, legs, mouth, eyes, ears, etc. I have to use my body to carry out my God-given function and gift in order to please God, not to please men. I also need to have a renewed mind that thinks differently from the world so that I will know the will of God.
Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me today that I not only need to give You my time, but also my body. Take all of me, Lord. Let me be the "living scarifice" to You this Christmas. Amen.
Tommy"s Thoughts:
Been so busy buying and wrapping gifts for this coming Christmas. A whole long list of people to give to; each with different kind of gift I’ve been thinking for quite some time. Trying to give what most probably they love to have or need. I realized today after reading the passage that I forget to include God in that list. I do not even have Him in my mind at all. So much of Him being the most important person in my life!
Forgive me O Lord that at times I think of You being a God that is impersonal and distant away. Forgive me also Lord, for sometime not giving You my best and not giving to You first. There are so many ways I can give to You, my mind, my time, and also my body as a living sacrifice for You. Thank you Lord for giving me various gifts that can be use to serve other in needs. Help me to not only remember these gifts but to carry them out in words and action, pleasing to You.
Lord, thanks to the Holy Spirit on the great idea for a special gift to You. I will give You this long-term “gift“starting this Christmas. Amen.
.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy
