Living Sacrifices?

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

(Romans 12:1-2, NKJV)

This past week, God has been dealing quite a bit with me in this area of my life. It’s always one of those things that I know, but how often do I really choose to live it? How often do we choose to take the easy route and conform to what everyone else is doing, or what everyone is saying. How often do we choose to listen to the same secular, vulgar music as everyone else? As Christians, we too often fall into the trap of thinking that listening to secular music, or even swearing every now and again is okay. We are okay. It’s just a small thing, we say to ourselves….no big deal. It’s not like we are out having sex or doing drugs. And I will be one of the first to admit that I have been guilty of this. Who hasn’t? But is it really not that big of a deal?

Before we were saved, we at least had an excuse: we really didn’t know better. We were just living as the rest of the lost do: for ourselves. But if we are still living the same way and we are saved, what kind of message does that send? If we know that the way in which we live makes us ineffective as Christians, what is the point of what Christ has done for us, if we are just going to live the same old way? From the vantage point of the lost, there isn’t one. Because if Jesus isn’t making positive changes in our lives, then why do they need him?

We are called to be living sacrifices. Everything that we are is supposed to reflect the glory of Christ and the mercy he has given us. Is our old self nailed to the cross? How often do we come before God, broken, figuratively crucify our sinful self, only to take it down and carry it with us when we leave the altar? And what about once we go out into the world? Do we place questions in people’s hearts when they look at the lives that we lead? Do we make them wonder what makes us the way that we are?

I find that I have been continually asking myself these kinds of questions over the past week, and I have been astounded at the growing sensitivity that I am having to instances where I am being a terrible witness to those around me. I work in an environment where it is very easy to conform. To say those bad words every now and again when I am really mad, to be unkind to someone just because their personality differs from my own. To not work my very hardest, because I don’t care. The list just goes on and on. The ultimate question for me has been: How am I representing my Savior? What kind of picture must my co-workers have of my God? If they just look at some of my behavior at work, what judgments must the make about my faith? And to think that I am turning people away from Christ is a devastating thought! It breaks my heart that my actions, even the small ones, can have such a profound impact upon the decisions of people that so desperately need Christ. It has really made me stop and think before I show my temper, or say something I shouldn’t.

We have it so much easier here in America. The worst persecution that most of us will ever face is being teased. But when you put it in perspective with what Christians from most of the rest of the world face, we are clueless. We don’t know what it means to go against the flow when we look at it this way. Christians all over the world risk everything: their families, their possessions, their homes, their jobs…and very often their lives for the cause of Christ. We need to wake up and ask ourselves: are we willing to give up all that we have to further the kingdom of God…even if it means losing our lives? Even though we don’t face martyrdom in our nation, what if it came to that point? What if the types of persecution that we only read about in magazines like Voice of the Martyrs became a reality here? If you were the one facing torture and death, would you continue to live for Christ, or would you choose your life? If God calls you to missions in a country where it is illegal to be a Christian and to proclaim the word of God, will you follow, fully aware that you might die?

And even in less extreme situations…think about your life now. Many of us face being made fun of, rejected for our faith. We all want to have friends, to be cared about. But at what cost? Are we too willing to sell out for the affection of the people around us? Or will we be as salt to the world around us?

Are you up to the challenge? Are you up to going against the flow, and standing up for what you believe in? Will you conform, or will you choose to be all that Christ has called you to be: a living sacrifice, completely surrendered?

Waiting and Following,

Alicia

Psalm 138:8