Devotion by:
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, 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 renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
It’s funny that I somewhat randomly chose this passage from the list available as the topic for my Lenten Devotional. As I opened the Bible that I’ve used since my older sister gave it to me as a confirmation gift umpteen years ago, I see her highlights all over these two verses. As the baby of the family, she was probably trying to tell me that it wouldn’t hurt to sacrifice just a little in my life – since she certainly had sacrificed her share for me. Whatever her thought process, I’ve often turned to Romans over the years as guidance, largely because she led me there when I was confirmed.
And perhaps it was this verse specifically that motivated me to make a life-changing decision six years ago when I decided to drop my career of ten years at the Discovery Channel to raise a family. I was pregnant with our first child, and it’s amazing how I sweated over the decision. I’ll admit that I had a pretty cool job. I traveled around the world. I worked with some of the brightest people I’ve ever met. And I got quite a personal high from climbing that corporate ladder. I really thought of leaving as a big sacrifice in my life. But something in God’s Word gave me the courage to make the change – to make what I thought was a sacrifice.
Of course, now I have to look back and laugh. In hindsight, it was no sacrifice at all. Quite the opposite, I think I would have sacrificed so much more if I had remained at Discovery. God blessed me completely by that decision to follow what I believed was His will, personalized just for me. Sure, corporate kudos were good for my ego, but my head bloats plenty when my five-year-old tells me how much she loves to be with me. And when my one-year-old smiles at me with his entire being…. before he throws a handful of corn across the floor.
Prayer: Dear God, Please give us the courage and faith to surrender to your perfect will. Guide us in our decisions – large and small – to make those sacrifices in our lives that so often lead to your greatest blessings. Amen.
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