Vol. 16 | No. 26
“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.” (Romans 12:1, New International Version)
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” (Romans 12:1, The New Living Translation)
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”(Romans 12:1, New American Standard)
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life — your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life — and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”(Romans 12:1, The Message)
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1, King James Version)
I shared these five different versions of this verse (and I consulted several others) because I was looking for the translation, paraphrase, or version that says that our worship only happens on Sunday morning in a pew inside a church building. I know it has to be there, I have heard it all my life. But where does it say that? Oh well.
If I understand this passage, worship happens when I give myself to God. If that is the case and if I have given myself to God, then it seems logical that my entire life is worship. I suppose that’s why Eugene Peterson (The Message) said, “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.”
What does that mean? That means…
When you are at your job, driving to your job, listening to a co-worker share their pain about their struggling marriage you are worshipping.
When you are putting your children to bed, and fixing them breakfast, and driving them to school, or changing a diaper, or kissing a boo-boo you are worshipping.
When you are playing softball, or coaching little league, or sitting in the parking lot waiting for practice to end you are worshipping.
When you are teaching algebra, or repairing a carburetor, or preparing a meal for a sick friend you are worshipping.
When helping your mom carry in the groceries, or babysitting your little brother, or walking your dog you are worshipping.
When you are sitting alone on the beach, or hiking a mountain trail, or watching a sunset you are worshipping.
“Take your everyday, ordinary life — your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life” and enjoy your life of wholehearted worship to God.
Tom
© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.