LIVING WORSHIP

Our understanding of worship is often all about the songs we sing on a Sunday morning at church. There’s nothing wrong with that—the psalms repeatedly tell us to praise God with songs, such as Psalm 96:1: “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.”

But in Romans 12, Paul helps show how much bigger worship is than just singing praise: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (ROMANS 12:1). What is a “living sacrifice” and what does it have to do with worship?

Worship is not only something we give to God, but a response throughout our whole life to “God’s mercy” to us. Since Jesus offered His own body for us on the cross as an act of love and mercy, it’s only fitting that we should do the same for Him.

Offering our whole selves to God might sound like it’s way too hard. Maybe we need to break it down to today, to this hour, to this moment—and ask ourselves, How can I do this for and with Jesus? That’s what it means to live a life of worship—a life that belongs to Jesus, not to ourselves.

The Bible reminds us that we live for Jesus now through the power of His Spirit—and that “Christ lives in [us]” (GALATIANS 2:20). We give ourselves to God in worship because Jesus gave Himself for all of us out of love.

Thinking it over . . .

What does it mean for you to be a “living sacrifice” for God? How can we always keep in mind that Jesus did this first for us? Read Romans 5:8 to be reminded that not only did Jesus give up His body for us, but He did so when we deserved it least.