Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual (or reasonable) act of worship.
Do not conform any longer 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.
The only reasonable thing we can do when we think of what God has done for us-reconciling us to himself through Jesus Christ- is to offer ourselves to him wholly and totally. This is our spiritual act of worship. Offering ourselves to him means that we give ourselves entirely to him: our service is to be for him…everything we do or engage in should be for him.
As we offer our bodies, we are to be careful not to allow our lives/lifestyles to be shaped by the patterns (attitudes, thought processes, concerns, ways) of this world. It’s easy to let our lives be shaped by how the world thinks. I mean, we are in the world. We are influenced by it! It’s easy to do or think as the world does.
How can we avoid the patterns of this world? Well, God’s word. As we read, study, meditate on, listen to God’s word…it sinks into our minds and hearts such that we are able to do exactly what God wants us to do. It will be easy to know and distinguish the pattern of this world and what God thinks. As we engage ourselves daily in God’s word we are continuously transformed. Our thinking processes are changed. We begin to think as God wants us to think. God’s word shapes our thinking processes.
The key is to offer ourselves daily to God and to allow his word to transform us.
