Giving your body to the Lord is what Paul calls us to do in Romans 12:1, but what does that mean? We have many choices in life, and our sinful nature wants us to use our bodies to follow our dreams and evil desires. Following our dreams or desires sounds romantic, but when we do, we find a life of emptiness and even destruction.
As believers, we discover that the Lord has a plan and purpose for our life that is much richer spiritually than anything the world may offer. Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”[1] To give up your way is to give up your dreams and desires for a greater purpose the Lord has for you. Also, we must give up our dreams daily because it is easy to fall back into our sinful desires.
Being Thankful for What the Lord Has Done
Paul tells us we should sacrifice our bodies because of what the Lord has done for us. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He took the punishment we deserved. In doing so, the Lord made way for us to be called to faith and forgiven. When we place our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and eternal life.
The magnitude of the gift of salvation is so fantastic that we should give our bodies to the Lord in service to building His kingdom. I can’t imagine what it would be like to spend eternity in hell, and that is where we would all be going if Jesus had not paid the price for our sins. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. [2] Paul tells us we deserve death, but in God’s mercy and grace as believers, don’t die eternally, and we can go to heaven.
True Worship is Giving up Your Body for the Lord
We often think worship is only a church service, but the Bible tells us it is much more. Using our bodies for the Lord’s service is a sacrifice of praise. Think of the difference you could make if you started each day by asking God what you could do in His Kingdom. A friend came to faith at a truck stop when someone gave up their time to tell him about Jesus. My friend will be ever thankful for the man who was an instrument in God’s hand. Not only was my friend blessed, but also the person who shared the good news of Jesus.
We give our bodies to God out of love and thanksgiving. We do this not because we must, but as believers in Jesus, we want to. Loving our Lord with all our hearts motivates us to give Him the best of our time, talent, and treasure. To learn about giving your body to the Lord, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/believe-live-it
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 9:23). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ro 6:23). Tyndale House Publishers.