A Living Sacrifice - Scripture Challenge - Day 16
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
We’ve made it to Day 16 of our May Scripture Challenge, and today’s verse takes us right to the heart of what it means to worship. Romans 12:1 reminds us that worship is more than music or church attendance—it’s about offering our very lives to God. True worship begins with surrender.
Paul begins this verse with the word “therefore,” connecting it to the rich theology of God’s mercy found in the previous chapters of Romans. In light of all that God has done—His forgiveness, His grace, His love—we are called to respond. But how? By offering ourselves.
Not just our Sundays. Not just our voices in song. Paul says to offer our bodies—our hands, our feet, our minds, our time, our talents—as a living sacrifice. This is worship that lives and breathes. It means we choose to follow Jesus in our everyday actions, decisions, and interactions.
This kind of surrender isn’t passive. It’s intentional. It’s choosing to say "yes" to God’s will instead of our own. It’s saying, “Here I am, Lord. Use me.”
In Old Testament times, sacrifices were placed on an altar and consumed. But Paul flips that imagery here. He calls us to be living sacrifices—fully alive, fully available, and fully devoted to God.
It’s not always easy. Sacrifices are costly. Laying down our pride, comfort, or plans can feel like too much. But when we consider the mercy of God—that He gave everything for us—the only fitting response is to give Him our all in return.
Romans 12:1 calls us higher. It invites us to live every moment as an act of worship. Whether we’re creating, serving, resting, or working, we can honor God by offering our lives to Him. Surrender isn’t weakness—it’s the beginning of worship. Let today be the day you say, “Lord, my life is Yours.”
Reflection Questions:
What area of your life do you find hardest to surrender to God? Why?
How can you intentionally offer your body and actions as an act of worship today?
What would it look like for your everyday routine to become a form of living sacrifice?