Dearest e-votees-
May your day be blessed as you serve others and our God with your gifts. Offer yourself as a living sacrifice as you practice your spiritual worship.
Peace,
Karl
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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. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
Romans 12:1-8, NRSV
So often we don’t notice how much we rely on a part of the body until it is injured or out of commission.
Once we get a strain in our back or our neck we become painfully aware of how often we use those muscles.
It isn’t until the cast or splint has been put in place that we realize how much our freedoms really have been curtailed (Fast Eddie Felson in the classic movie The Hustler has a hard time even drinking his coffee with both thumbs in casts).
It isn’t until we have stubbed our big toe or jammed a finger that we realize how often those joints get bent and used and bumped throughout the day.
So often we don’t even notice the parts of the body until they are under stress.
Paul reminds us in the Romans text that we are all part of the body of Christ. We have roles to play that some might not even notice until we are no longer serving in that way. Paul lists all sorts of ways that we are empowered and called to serve. What part(s) of the body are you? How would God have you serve this day?
Perhaps we can take on the discipline this day of noticing others and the role they serve in the body of Christ. Offer a word of praise or a note of appreciation or just a thankful smile. It may well make the day of the one you are regarding.
Paul reminds us to regard ourselves with sober judgment. We ought to also regard others with gracious appreciation. We would do well to regard others as holy and acceptable to God. And if in our estimation we think they are not doing all they might for the body of Christ we would do well to let God take care of that.
God, help us lean into You away from the conforming and confining expectations of this world. Stir us to serve in the body of Christ joyfully and to offer that joy to our brothers and sisters as well. Amen.
May your day be blessed as you serve others and our God with your gifts. Offer yourself as a living sacrifice as you practice your spiritual worship.
Peace,
Karl
----------------
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. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
So often we don’t notice how much we rely on a part of the body until it is injured or out of commission.
Once we get a strain in our back or our neck we become painfully aware of how often we use those muscles.
It isn’t until the cast or splint has been put in place that we realize how much our freedoms really have been curtailed (Fast Eddie Felson in the classic movie The Hustler has a hard time even drinking his coffee with both thumbs in casts).
It isn’t until we have stubbed our big toe or jammed a finger that we realize how often those joints get bent and used and bumped throughout the day.
So often we don’t even notice the parts of the body until they are under stress.
Paul reminds us in the Romans text that we are all part of the body of Christ. We have roles to play that some might not even notice until we are no longer serving in that way. Paul lists all sorts of ways that we are empowered and called to serve. What part(s) of the body are you? How would God have you serve this day?
Perhaps we can take on the discipline this day of noticing others and the role they serve in the body of Christ. Offer a word of praise or a note of appreciation or just a thankful smile. It may well make the day of the one you are regarding.
Paul reminds us to regard ourselves with sober judgment. We ought to also regard others with gracious appreciation. We would do well to regard others as holy and acceptable to God. And if in our estimation we think they are not doing all they might for the body of Christ we would do well to let God take care of that.
God, help us lean into You away from the conforming and confining expectations of this world. Stir us to serve in the body of Christ joyfully and to offer that joy to our brothers and sisters as well. Amen.
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