Life. It’s a funny thing. Each of us, if we’re reading this little devotional, has been given a life, made up of the breath we breathe, the intellect we use, and the relationships we share. With every spoken word and every decision made, we each play a central role in the purpose our lives hold and legacy our lives leave. Yet, time moves by so quickly and the resource of life can be used up before we realize.
It takes hindsight observation to help us see clearly once again. Perhaps it’s a yearly celebration, a family reunion, or the turn of a new year. But, it’s only when we take that moment to reflect, respond, and re-new our decisions that we can change the course of the life we’ve been given. Intentionality and pre-determined priorities help ensure we’re sacrificing the resource of our life to the things we value. So, before more life is sacrificed to the wrong things, we must take time to determine what we value.
Before you read today’s scripture, let’s stop to reflect. What mercies has God offered to you in 2017? List several ways you’ve seen God show up in obvious or subtle ways this year. Then, read Romans 12:1-2.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 ESV
Chapter 12 is the central shift in the book of Romans and today marks a shift in our lives. It’s a fresh start. We look back at what God’s done for us, so we can turn our eyes then toward a re-newed way of living with the new year ahead. In view of what God’s done for you, both in the last year and in generations past, what one area in your personal life do you want to respond to with priority in 2018?
By Yvonne Biel
