Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Parenthood is one human example of sacrifice lived out. A mother’s body changes and goes through immense pain to bring a life to the world. Parents make sacrifices with time and work to provide for their child. When a child is young and especially dependent on them, parents have to sacrifice their preferences, comforts, and, at times, necessities to make sure their child has what they need first. This is often difficult, but a parent knows it is worth it in the
The call to be a living sacrifice is for every disciple and can be overwhelming and counterintuitive until we remember our motivation. Jesus promised in Matthew 16:25, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” We are called to surrender to Christ daily, trusting Him with our story and seeking His life to reign in us. This sacrifice is not easy, but we can be certain it will be worth it. Through Christ, we find true and abundant life. In Him we have peace, assurance, confidence, and hope in the difficult circumstances of life. Life will look differently than we want at times, but we can rest assured it is in surrender to God that we find true satisfaction for our souls.
- What is something that you would have to give up to truly live sacrificially before God?
- What are some things that make you hesitant to live sacrificially? How can you remember that it is worth it?
- Pray and ask God to transform your heart and help you remember that life with Him is worth it.
