When I read my scripture this morning, I had to smile and thank God, say a prayer, and I just knew what I had to briefly share with you today.
This weekend I had a heart-to-heart conversation with someone about how they are living their life. One of the topics discussed were “Do others see even a glimpse of Jesus in your life at work, when your out, how your talk, what you do, …in your daily life?”
I’m a threat to read scripture in at least four different translations to allow the meaning to soak into me. This morning, the translation that first appeared was from The Message. Take a read:
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Romans 12:1-2 MSG
When I read Romans 12:1-2, it was as if God was saying, “Well done on your conversation this weekend. Now, share this message from Me to them.”
See, in our conversation I illustrated a point by talking about practicing shooting the bow, and comparing it to our focus on God.
When you set your sight on the bullseye, and practice focusing your aim, blessings will come. That blessings may result in shooting that deer you were aiming for with precision. You’ll have meat, share your prize, and feel great satisfaction.
If you draw your bowstring back and aimlessly release your arrow, you’ll miss the target. No blessing. No great reward.
The same can be said about our purpose in life. When we set our sight on what God desires for us, blessings will come. Satisfaction will occur. His ways are so much better than our ways! Now, I’m not saying that our life will be all sunshine and roses. Troubles and trials will come, but we now have our focus on Jesus Christ. That focus gives us a hope and joy that is often unexplainable to others, as we have a godly perspective and purpose in life. To God be all the glory in all situations.
Notice in verse one where it says, “God helping you”. Friend, if you need to make a change in your life, focus more on God, surrender you life to Him…GOD WILL HELP YOU. You are not alone.
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Colossians 3:1
Also, when the scripture said, “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.”, that didn’t read, “Just give God a portion of your life” or “Give only your Sunday to God.” Nope. Take you EVERYDAY LIFE, ALL of it, and give it to God. Trust me, living for Christ will satisfy your life in a way you could never imagine.
When we give our life to Christ, we have the Holy Spirit within us. I like to call the Holy Spirit our God conscious. We will be aware of the actions we take in our lives. We will want to please God, and know when something in our life isn’t pleasing to Him.
I pray that you will surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Fix your attention on God. Allow God to transform you into the person He desires for you to be. Let God be your purpose in life, and LIVE FOR THAT PURPOSE.
Blessings to you and yours,
Stephanie
I’ve always loved this photo of my and my kiddos.
I constantly pray that they will live for and love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
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. Do not conform 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.
Romans 12:1-2 NIV
