Beyond the Battlefieldনমুনা

True worship is not optional. It should also be motivated by God’s mercy toward us. The first thing about true worship is not what we do with our bodies. The first thing is focusing on God’s mercy towards us. If this is the starting point, then the rest follows. Our bodies are to be offered to God as “living sacrifices.” A living sacrifice is where we live to please God. This is different from a death sacrifice, where someone dies to please God. Jesus already did that for us. A living sacrifice is when we sacrificially live in our bodies to please God. It means we dedicate our bodies to be used by God.

This also means that our job is to provide space in our lives to allow Him to renew our minds through the words in the Bible. Consider setting aside a few minutes in the morning, right after waking up, to begin your day with God. These moments can significantly shape the rest of your day positively. We have a choice as to what we watch, read, and allow to take root in our minds. By renewing our minds, we are enabled to discern God’s will through testing and reflection, and more slowly align our lives with His purposes. It’s an intentional and ongoing process, but one that becomes more intuitive the more we practice and live out this pattern of replacing our thoughts with those of God.