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 true worship. Do not conform 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. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Romans 12:1-8 (TNIV)

Paul has spent the last 11 chapters laying out the desperate plight of the human condition and what God has done about it in Jesus Christ. Here he tells us what should be our response to God’s great love for us in Jesus Christ. We should give God our entire being, body and mind, to God’s service. How do we know what he wants us to do? We allow his Spirit to live in us and to make us become more like Christ. This isn’t an event, but a process, and if my experience is a valid indicator, it is a long and painfully slow process.

We allow God to renew our minds through prayer, daily Scripture reading, weekly worship, and Christian fellowship. This isn’t a comprehensive list but it is a good start. And because Christ humbled himself and took on our flesh (cf. Philippians 2), we are to do likewise. Instead of our lives being all about us, our lives should be open to the Holy Spirit leading us, dedicated to serving God and others. We are to use our gifts to build up each other in Christ’s Body, the Church, and we are not to be bashful in doing so.

What a different picture this is from the one the world paints! I am thinking of a TV commercial that exhorts us to celebrate “being ourselves.” Hmmm… By contrast, Paul tells us to manifest our love for God and our faith in Jesus Christ by following God’s will for us and serving others humbly.

The extent to which you understand the human condition and what God has done for you will determine the extent you are willing to give yourself to God as a living sacrifice in his service. It is a good self-check. Are you eager to love and serve the Lord?