So, brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service. 2 Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature. 3 Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you. 4 We have many parts in one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function. 5 In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other. 6 We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith. 7 If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. 8 If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful. (Romans 12:1-8, CEB)
I remember this verse from the NRSV, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Here above it is your appropriate priestly service. I was always confused by spiritual worship and to be honest priestly service doesn’t really make it any better. Unless…
The rest of the passage talks about gifts we get and how we should use them. Whatever we are good at we should do for the world. Not for recognition, but to make the world better. And we are all a part of the priesthood of all believers, gifted for the body of Christ. So our spiritual worship or priestly service is to use the gift God gave us to make the world a better place.
How can you make the world a better place?
Love more.
Follow the Spirit.
Be a person of integrity.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 