Living Sacrifices - Married to Christ

"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 act of worship." Romans 12:1

I have pondered this scripture for most of my walk with Christ. I think on it. Meditate on it. Wonder about it.

In our modern culture what is "offering our bodies as living sacrifices" supposed to look like? Most of us are not under threat of persecution. We are not being threatened with death or torture. My body is well, good, and rather pampered...So how do I apply this scripture in my life? How do you apply this scripture in your life?

When I got married, I had my own dreams and ideas about how things should go. (Silly me, LOL) How often has life really gone the way we imagine, let alone the complicated relationship of marriage go the way we imagine? We are people. We come with the whole package of experiences, fears, longings, and preconceived notions that color who we are and how we interact with each other. If life is complicated, marriage is complicated times two! However, God calls us to marriage, and as Iron Sharpens Iron.... well lets just say, I should be getting very sharp by now.;-)

I remember a HUGE fight my husband and I had one weekend not long into our marriage. It was over our differences in the way we saw our weekend going. I'm not kidding, this was a huge blow up fight complete with someone walking home. It's rather funny to me now as I look back at it. We both had our ideas and we neglected to inform each other of what we wanted. Each blamed the other for not fulfilling the plans the other had. Sounds a lot like a newly married couple who just realized they aren't their own person anymore right? They are connected to each other. Always.

But over time, we learn to consider the other person. To look to their needs and desires. That is a huge lesson in marriage.

It's also a huge lesson in our walk with Christ. Do we walk on in our relationship with Christ with our own plans or are we offering our bodies, our very lives, our very DREAMS and desires as living sacrifices? Are we willing to let them be slain on the alter in lieu of HIS purposes, His Plans, and His desires for our life direction?

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" James 4:13-15

We learn in marriage to work to support and fulfill the other persons needs, and desires. I suppose the question I must ask myself today is, am I married to Christ today? Am I plowing forward in my own desires, or am I seeking where he wants me to go first. Am I giving my body (my desires) over to him as a living sacrifice today. Or am I hoping he will just bless what I want to do?

Blessings,