A Living Sacrifice

A living sacrifice
The apostle Paul writes,
“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.  
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1,2.
Dear Christian are you a living sacrifice for God?
By that I mean is your life wholly given over to God? Is God’s love reflected in your life and lifestyle.
Becoming a living sacrifice to God is not becoming a fanatic. It is not hitting people over the head with the bible and heaping condemnation on them. It is living a life that shows the world you believe in God and live by the values Christians hold most dear.
Values Christ told us to live by, Love God, Love your neighbour, Love your enemy, pray for those who persecute you. Do not judge those around you. Do good works.
Our faith in Christ should produce good works. James the half brother of Jesus said,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?   Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.  
You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. 
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” James 2:14-26.
This is what it is to be a living sacrifice to God.
Francis of Assisi wrote this prayer Christians should take to heart. He said,

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 

                                                                                       Francis of Assisi
This is how we should live our lives.
Please think about it.