Beautiful Word Devotional #62

Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Romans 12:1

Paul’s words here are wildly counter-cultural. This call to give everything to God, including our bodies, is radical and right. After all, Jesus has done great things on our behalf: at the cross he saved us from the consequences of our sin, from eternal separation from God, the ultimate death. And he did this by giving over his physical body.

In response, we are to do the same. We yield our bodies for his purposes and in his honor, for him to use us in the world according to his perfect plan. Every day we have the opportunity to worship Jesus by dying to our own wishes and plans, by offering ourselves—our bodies—as a living sacrifice for his service. And he calls our doing so a “spiritual act of worship.”

Worship is far more than singing songs. Worship is also offering your life—daily, hourly, minute by minute. Surrendering your heart, body, and life means more to God than songs well sung.

Lord, I offer myself to you for your good purposes, amen.