“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1,2)
Before being redeemed, we lived as our own people – we had our own ideas, we followed our own desires, we did as we pleased. But when Christ redeemed us, we became the property of God – we were no longer our own, we no longer “called the shots,” we stepped down from the throne of our life and made Jesus our Lord. We were sheep going astray, and now we are part of Christ’s fold. He is our Leader. He directs our paths. He tells us what to do and what not to do. We are not our own person; we are God’s person.
A life submitted to God is a life that hears from God. Our former life was wasted and misspent because it was lived out from under God. What did we get for all of our restless activity? Shame and regret. Bad choice after bad choice. Wrong turn after wrong turn.
Now that we are in God’s hands our lives have the potential for the greatest purpose. But in each day we must remember our calling – to worship God by giving Him power. This means we let Him control us. We let Him set our agenda. We don’t do our will, but His. Our eyes look to Him; our ears listen to Him; our hands and feet are ready to carry out His directives. Because we have presented ourselves to our God as a living sacrifice, He is able to teach and instruct us in the way He wants us to go.
When we stand before the Lord who redeemed us for Himself, all that will matter is whether we heard and obeyed Him while we lived. Will it matter what others thought of our lives when the Lord of glory declares to us: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Live each day in the firm grip of God. Don’t be afraid of losing your life for His sake. Be afraid of regaining control and once again calling the shots. You have been saved to worship and serve God each and every day. Such a life is the best spent life.