God’s Will, God’s Way

Before I started the cleaning I turned on the playlist we had for our Sunday morning service. The mundane job of sweeping and scouring was quickly interrupted when the beat to the song just seemed to energize my body and the Zumba style dancing started. Now singing at the top of my lungs the worship just seemed to flow. As one song ended, the next one started. With no beat that shouted, “keep on dancing,” I started back to the task at hand, cleaning the kitchen.

With one song after another, I found myself singing but they were just lyrics. That was until the Holy Spirit convicted me of the words that had just left my lips. The chorus was talking about how it was going to be my pleasure living a life that said, Lord I will follow Your will and I will do it His way. If I am being totally honest, when I sing these words without a song sheet, my heart says Lord I will follow Your will, but I am doing it my way. At that moment I was no longer thinking about the songs that were playing, but was it really a joy to be obedient to doing God’s will, His way.

Almost twenty years ago God challenged me to live every day of my life differently. At that time God also gave my husband the first two verses in Romans 12 which in turn became foundational life verses for us.

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. 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. Romans 12:1-2(NIV)

During the past two decades we have lost friendships. We have been called “super Christians.” We even had pastors tell us they didn’t know what to do with us. We took Romans 12 at face value which meant for us, living your daily life as a Christ follower following the guidelines found in Romans 1 and 2. First the scripture starts with “in view of God’s mercy.” I think of God’s mercy every time I see a rainbow. A rainbow is from Genesis and it is a promise of God’s mercy to not flood the earth again.

I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:11-13 (NIV)

But the best gift of God’s mercy is the availability of eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Our response to God’s mercy is to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice per Romans 12:1. The first thing I think of when I hear the word sacrifice though, is the Old Testament sacrifices where something had to be slaughtered and burnt. The definition of sacrifice is actually an act of slaughtering an animal or person. But the definition according to dictionary.com goes on to say it can also be the surrendering of a possession as an offering to God or to a divine or supernatural figure. I am pretty sure the perfect Lamb took that sacrifice for us so we don’t have the need of slaughtering an animal or person but the second part of that definition, I believe is what God means. We are to surrender ourselves as an offering to God. Matter of fact the last portion of Romans 12 verse 1 says that by offering our bodies as a sacrifice that this is your true and proper worship.

Paul to the church of Corinth wrote:  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)

What price were we bought with? Jesus’ blood on that cross almost 2000 years ago. The scripture from Romans 12 goes on to say that we are not to conform to the patterns of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. How do we not conform to this world? I think the verse should read: Be transformed by the renewing of your mind then you will be wise to not conform to the patterns of your daily world. (MSK)

What are you putting in place of the Lordship of Christ? Technology? A relationship? Work? What is that you are allowing to influence your life besides the Word of God? Paul again, to the church in Corinth, wrote that we need to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5b (NIV) Our thought life when it takes us hostage instead of us taking it captive, becomes the words we speak. When we speak these words over and over, it becomes our behavior, the actions of daily life. That is why I think we need to be renewing our mind on a minute by minute basis. How do we do that?

God’s Word! According to 2 Timothy: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

It is time that those of us who call ourselves Christ followers look to the scriptures for the truth that will help us live a life no longer conforming to the world but living transformed by the Holy Spirit. Then we can truly sing that it will be our pleasure to do God’s will, God’s way.