June 11 - Invest.

Romans 12:1
“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.”
 
When the fears and doubts of life assail, it is time to reevaluate what we investing in. How do we spend our time and energy? We find here at the beginning of Romans 12 direction for how to find our purpose within the will of God. In the first verse we see some ways to invest ourselves in the Lord’s Will.
 
Invest By Sacrificing.
Paul is pleading with the church at Rome to give themselves to the Lord to find His purpose for their lives. When we present our bodies as a living sacrifice, we must be yielded. A living sacrifice has the ability to get up off of the altar, and lets face it…we have all been there. We yield ourselves to the will of God only to pick ourselves back up off of the altar as we get up off our knees. Instead, we must invest ourselves in finding God’s will for our lives by spending time in prayer and reading our Bible. The Scripture we read and supplications we plead will help us to live holy lives that are acceptable to God.
 
Invest By Serving.
As we sacrifice our own will, God will give us the desires of our heart that line up with His will for our lives. As He directs us, He will provide for us. Within this provision we will find opportunities to serve. We can serve Him by serving others and showing Christ’s love for them by shining our light. He may give us opportunities to do great things for Him, but oftentimes before the “big” things come, He will allow “little” occasions to see if we mean business. Are we willing to sweep the floors of the church without an audience? Clean the bathrooms? Take out the trash? Open a door for someone? Give an offering to the missionary that presented their work? Let someone else have “our seat”? It is as much our reasonable service to do these things as it is to sing in the choir, go soul-winning, pass out a tract, or do a devotion. God desires us to be willing to serve when no one else is watching and when no one else shows up. It is reasonable for God to ask us to anything for His glory. He chose to willingly leave His throne in Heaven to come and die for our sin. Can we not do our reasonable service for Him?
 
Take account today of how you are investing.
How are you sacrificing? How are you serving?
 
Remember your reasonable service today.
 
 
Bible Reading:
I Kings 21-22  |  II Corinthians 13  |  Psalm 132
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