Sacrifice

Romans 12.1

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship”.

The owner of this blog will pretty much die this weekend. From what he tells me of his timetable, including his break time of watching Liverpool lose which to me sounds more like labour than leisure, it’s very likely he’ll turn into a living zombie than a living sacrifice.

But previously before this, I have never actually known the real meaning of a living sacrifice, until he literally acted it out for me: that is to be a complete tireless slave for Christ no matter what the outcome is.

I can’t say I’m very spiritual, nor am I very active in my ministry, and much less am I learned in the word of God. In fact, if not for my confession that I am a Christian, other people probably will not see me as one. But in Romans 12.1 Paul calls me to act in worship to God. What good is my confession of being a Christian when my actions and intentions show otherwise? Perhaps my friendship with Jun Yi balances out the work-play scale.

So Jun Yi tells me that he had a late night on Thursday, attending a meeting with members of a church and SUFES about organising a camp, and then the next day off to dreary ol’ work again after which there was a rehearsal for his own church’s youth event until say about midnight, (and then watching football again of all things), and then a crazily early morning the next day on Saturday (in which there should be an international constitutional law against) to hold a convention at a school until the afternoon, and then straight to the youth event itself (which I was told didn’t have that great a turnout anyway =[). Sunday hasn’t happened yet but I can guess it’s going to be church and CNY visitations and captianball and futsal and movies and mamak and snooker and journaling and whatever and ever…

He needs his own travel itinerary.

There are many faults with his weekend of course, the most obvious being simply too busy to live, but no one can deny that he is not working at every sense of the words of Paul. God’s mercy is for everyone, and all of it as well. Since God has given everything, we are in no position to say that we cannot return Him the same. God offered His Son, Jesus’ body to the cross. Again we are in no position not to offer our whole bodies as a sacrifice to Him. God has called our every action as worship, even the most mundane things, and Jun Yi’s every action is for the ministry and expansion of God’s kingdom. What I can learn at least from this guy’s lifelessness and lack of time even to drink his Teh Ais is that I know I can do more, especially for the One who loves me even in my lazy bumming ugly self.


James 2.26

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead”.


Dear Loving Father,

Thank you for Your own sacrifices You have given to me, and thank You for Your wholly accepting and unconditional love You have towards the worthless me. Thank you also that while my own love is found wanting, and limited to my human understanding, Yours is beyond measure, beyond time, beyond space and beyond my own comprehension. Please forgive my lack of motivation and perseverance, and help me to find that first pure love that You have so freely and gracefully given to me. I pray that You use these hands according to Your will, and also give me the courage to face the challenges that may come my way. In all things, Father, I pray that I will be your humble and pleasing instrument for You, and that while I may sacrifice the pleasures the world may offer, I will never give up the privilege of serving You.

In your Son’s most precious name,
Amen.





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Anonymous.