Living Sacrifice

Yesterday we discussed what Paul meant by his appeal to be a living sacrifice to God. In his book, Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby says that if we are going to be the Church that God designed us to be, we must learn to find out where He is working and join Him there. Unfortunately, the Church has chosen to forge forward on its own path, going out into the world to be a blessing, and then asking God to bless the work they are doing. In so doing, we have removed God from the equation. While we are doing good works, helping others, showing mercy; what we are failing to do is show the world what it really needs, an encounter with the living God. Before we can go into the world living a life of mercy, we must first present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice - which is our true, proper, and spiritual worship. In so doing, we open the door to join Him in the work He is already doing.
In this season of Lent, we are called to make sacrifice- to give up something in order to make more room for Him in our lives. When we choose to be living sacrifices, we mst be willing to give up any, and all, rights to ourselves to make room for God to come in and lead into His plan, His purpose and His will for us! It means we are to die to self, take up our crosses daily, and follow Him. It means we are placing ourselves in a position to be used at His full disposal, to go where He says go, to say whatever He says to say, to love the way He loves, to hear the way He hears and t osee the way He sees.