To be equipped by God? To be a light to the world? First, present ourselves to Him as willing soldiers. The thing is, as you read through the passage to discover what “holy and acceptable” look like – it becomes clear that this will not be a walk in the park but an intense exercise of faith and sacrifice. That, right there, should (if we are honest) make us pause and think – do I really want to present myself as a living sacrifice?
In our last move I came across a small scrap of paper that was sitting in a pile of paper to be sorted and thinned out. On the scrap, in my writing, it had put the jar down. A reference from John 4. The Samaritan woman comes to the well and meets a Jewish man. They a discuss religion, race, and life. She is bold and unashamed. He is understanding and patient. She confesses that she’s been waiting for the Messiah who will explain everything – and then, Christ tells her the secret. I can just see Him. He hears the disciples approaching, leans in toward her. “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” The disciples arrive, surprised and speechless. And then, she puts the jar down.
At last the water is unimportant. The place to worship, race, gender, social standing: unimportant. She puts the jar down and goes to find her friends. This story of Christ with the Samaritan woman, has become something more to me in these last few years. I believe this encounter with Jesus recorded in John 4, teaches us that without understanding the need to put our cultural biases and prejudices aside we cannot truly experience the rest of Romans 12. To willingly offer ourselves as a living sacrifice we have to put our jars down – the first step to becoming equipped by God.
PROCESS
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What have you already given up to be a living sacrifice?