“Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.
Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.”
Romans 12:1, 2 (TPT)
The dedication of athletes participating in the Olympics is inspiring. Imagine the time and sacrifice to achieve such a high level of skill and success. The Olympians have literally offered themselves as “living sacrifices” to follow their dreams.
Likewise, Paul tells us our proper response to God is to give ourselves as living sacrifices. We give our all to Him because He gave His all to us.
Athletes go against the norm and are committed to a special way of life. Their training and daily habits revolve around their goals. They give up many pleasures, hoping to receive a reward they value more important than what they have sacrificed.
We also don’t go with the flow of our culture. Our life of surrender to God is our way of worshipping Him. Anything we give up in this life does not compare to a loving relationship with God and His continual blessings.
As we allow the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, to change the way we think; we are literally changed from the inside out. We are empowered to know God’s plan and live a beautiful, satisfying life He has planned for us all along.