Recently, God has put Romans 12:1 on my heart and while a whole bunch of things come to mind that I could write about, none of them have seem to hit that mark. What’s funny is that like usual, now that it is in my heart, it seems everyone is either preaching, teaching, sharing or mentioning it in one way or another. But yet, none of it has resonated to what I believe He was wanting me to say.
And I’ve sat here scratching my head wondering if I was suddenly “broken”, had I upset him, did I do something wrong that I wasn’t able to pick up on whatever it was I was meant to “see”? I have thought well maybe with the kids being sick, and the stress I’m under I’m just not in the right mental space to operate as he would have me usually, because to be honest, I’ve been really stretched thin and haven’t been devoting as much time to him as I typically would (sick kids consume entirely too much energy, ugh). So yesterday I prayed on it, and last night I again prayed on it as I went to bed…
“Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” Psalm 139.4
Sitting here this morning I was doing my devotionals and going over my notes from them when I came across a quote from Joyce Meyers, “Out of our love for God, we want to please Him. We become sons and daughters, not slaves.” Let that sink in for a moment because it is simply beautiful.
Here lately, I know for me, I have been seeing a lot of push back about how “religion” is nothing but a way or means for an organization to control their people. I personally have been accused of being a member of a cult because of the love and devotion I have and show for Jesus. All a person has to do is listen to a non-believer or even a misled believer for 5 minutes and you can tell that they have never experienced the love of Jesus and have absolutely no clue what that love can and will do to and for a person. Huge difference in having that “religion” in your life and finding yourself secure in a relationship with Jesus!
I was one of those people, so trust me I get it. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in Him, it was that I didn’t know what He was capable of doing within the heart of one that gives it fully unto Him. Truly I tell you, once you give your heart and your life to Him, loving him and being obedient to him is the easy part. You gotta be like Elsa and let it go, give it to Him and watch the beautiful things that begin to take place not only within you but in your life, too!
“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14.15
Yes Jesus, teach me, guide me and direct me in Your ways so that I can love you the way that You want me to. The way that I need to, the way that the world needs me to so that I can lead others to you! Let me be the light Lord, let me be your disciple, so that I can live my life through you and for you…
In Romans 12:1 we are urged “…to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God- this is your true and proper worship.”
I remember reading this and it just resonating in my heart that if you truly gave your heart and your life to Jesus, he himself makes this easy to do! I don’t think I fully believed in the power of giving my life over to Him until now, as I am experiencing it myself.
You begin to “crave” his word, wanting to lead and live your life in ways that are pleasing to him. Over time you find yourself transformed by his love that has now replaced the things that once consumed you and you realize that you are a different person now, and that you are a reflection of the things that you’ve come to know and believe through his word. Just as his love has transformed you, you now find yourself willingly pleading with him, “Lord, use me! Let others see you through me! Let me be a beacon to those lost from you so that they can find you through me! Whatever it is you need me to do Father, the answer is Yes and I am willing to do it for You!”
We quickly begin to want the responsibility of being looked upon as being “Jesus’ daughter or son”. You seek out those interactions in which you can lead others to Christ…
We willingly and lovingly put ourselves on display as to say, “By giving my life, to Jesus this is what he has done for me and he can offer the same to you. Come let me show you the goodness he offers, let me show you the love and the peace, let me lead you to where I am today. Let me show you how to live how I am so that you too can live a blessed life through Jesus Christ.” We proudly display our love and devotion of him and live our lives accordingly. And he makes it easy to do!
If I am to be honest, there were many times prior, where I would have read verses in the Bible and would have absolutely balked at the ideology behind it. But that was before I actually gave my life to Jesus and I have felt him take over my life, fill my heart and change my life. One would assume that many would be quick to judge reading the statement, “…to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God- this is your true and proper worship…” and follow it up with a quick, “Oh my! Your God wants you to sacrifice yourself to him??? Like, how is that loving??”
The only honest answer I could come up with is Romans 8:38-39…
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Until you personally live it, feel it and experience Gods love firsthand, you truly won’t understand. But let me tell you once you do, everything makes perfect sense.
Billie is a 40-something stay-at-home momma of five beautiful children and Grammy to three grandchildren. When not wrangling the littles, she babysits for her two adult children. You will find her gardening, canning, baking, and making the most delicious meals for her family. Billie is a multitasker juggling a team of miniature tyrants, a cat, a snake, two dogs, two rats, and nine chickens. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and studying her bible. Her passion is sharing the gospel through her writing! So, whether she’s feeding your body with delicious meals or feeding your soul through her writing, join Billie as she takes you on a journey providing you with “Food for Thought.”
by leaps and bounds 
Leave a comment