Based on Romans 12:1-10 (New King James Version)
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.”
Today’s passage has some godly counsel that applies to our daily life. If we are able to understand and practice what God shares with us today, we will be able to understand and resolve many things in our lives. Our lives may not necessarily become easier (and I know that by saying something like that some of you may lose heart; because we want everything to be easy), but we would be able to get clear direction with logical and applicable principles for each aspect of our life. Be brave! If you move forward, you will achieve great things.
The first point is about being able to use our reasoning for the things of God, so that in a very practical way we are able to learn what is necessary, and let go of that which is unnecessary and harmful. This is what our “reasonable service” is about, that rational thinking or reasoning should be used for the things of God. What God teaches has great logic, especially in the great and eternal scheme. If we have learned the things of the world to conduct our lives (and the things of the world are foreign to the things of God), we have to let go or unlearn those things, and learn what God teaches. We have to let the Holy Spirit teach us through the Scriptures those things that are convenient to understand, to learn, and to practice; and like that, renew our mind. God does not hate the mind. On the contrary, the heart and the soul need the mind so that we can use our strength to do (put into action) those things that God teaches. Remember that faith without works is dead, that there is no life without action. And many times, a lot of strength is necessary for the things of God, especially when facing obstacles.
In addition to that, it’s very necessary to involve the mind with the things of God. The renewed mind is what helps us understand the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Otherwise, it becomes our worst enemy. The greatest fight a human being can encounter is with themselves. It sounds absurd, but it’s true. The heart may be willing. The soul may long for God, but the influence of the world over the mind of a person always is the greatest obstacle for many people. The Holy Spirit tells you to do something, but your human mind says, “That doesn’t make sense, so, I’m not doing it.” So, you need to wash your mind with the Word of God, so that it can be renewed and cleaned from everything that goes against God.
The second point is that we should be humble. There is no one that knows everything, and that can do everything on their own. We all need others, and moreover, believers need one another. The person that thinks they can do everything on their own has a great problem with reality and with their ego (I say this in the love of the Lord). This is a spiritual war, and to be able to fight a war, you need soldiers; many soldiers; and each soldier has their function and responsibility. If you don’t learn how to work in a group, the war cannot be won. The only way for the world to believe that God sent His only begotten Son to the world is through our unity; not by our preaching or words. For it is written: “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” John 17:21. So then, we need to learn how to get along, if we are being guided by the same Holy Spirit.
And finally, the primary motivator for everything in the Lord needs to be love. The Bible teaches us this: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. The only thing that will remain forever is love, because God is love. And just in case, we are not talking about the love the world talks about. True love that comes from God will never justify sin, because sin produces death, but the love of God will always produce and perpetuate life, because Christ is life.
The Bible also teaches us this principle: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:7-11.
God’s counsel is always for our own good, and for the good of others, even though others may not understand right now. So, are you looking for the counsel of God for your life? Lord bless! John