Choosing God

As we continue in our series of what it looks like to live out our Christian faith, we continue with Romans 12:1, which says, “Therefore, 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.”

As mentioned yesterday, offering our body as a living sacrifice to God is not a popular practice. Most of society, including believers, do not practice this. Most people give into their natural desires to please their body. We live in a world of Tinder and social media apps that allow people to hookup whenever they feel the urge. One night stands seem more common than virgins.

This verse is not only talking about being sexually pure, but it’s also talking about what we put in our bodies. For some, it is not just sexual urges, but addictions to drugs and alcoholic beverages that are doing far more harm than good. In all of these cases, it is a matter of being disciplined and choosing against a quick fix or in this case, the feeling of pleasure.

God wants us to resist these quick, sudden, and short-term pleasures in favor of a disciplined lifestyle that honors Him with our bodies. God wants us to sacrifice these things in favor of being pure and keeping our body clean in His eyes. And if we do so, we can go before Him with holy bodies — bodies that are pleasing in His eyes.

Being a believer does not numb you from the same urges others have. But it does give you access to the Holy Spirit who gives you the power to make the sacrifices needed and to choose God over yourself. Trust me, choosing God will give you far greater rewards than the immediate pleasures your body craves.