In chapter three Lysa shared a couple of examples of areas in her life where she felt God asking her to lay something down at His feet. In these moments Lysa had a choice to make. It's the same choice we all have when we feel God leading us to give something up - that choice is to surrender our desires for His will.
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) tells us
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. Do not conform to the pattern of this world,
but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test
and
approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
At this point of my life, I feel God
is asking me to lay aside my need for control. More on that later. For now, I
want to share with you what I learned in my study of this verse and then I want
to share with you the sentence that God put in my heart that sums up all the
definitions of this verse. I feel like God is using this verse to show me the
steps I'll need to take in order to lay down my need for control.
Here's what I learned during my
study of Romans 12:1-2: My thoughts are in pink. :)
“living” – having life.
“sacrifice” - the surrender or destruction of something prized or
desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.
Pleasing God: It is most important that my
actions in this life are pleasing to God.
“pleasing” - to act to the pleasure or satisfaction of.
“God” – our Father in Heaven.
Do not conform: I am not to become similar to
the characteristics of this world.
“conform” - to be or become similar in form, nature,
or character.
The pattern of this world: The qualities, acts, and
tendencies of this temporary world I live in are not to become patterns of my
life or my characteristics.
“pattern” - a
combination of qualities, acts, tendencies, etc., forming a consistent or characteristic
arrangement.
Transformed: having changed my nature or
character.
“transformed” - to change in condition, nature,
or character.
Renewing your mind: the process of reviving or
reestablishing my mind (to align myself with God).
“renew” - to revive; reestablish.
Test and approve God’s will: having a renewed mind that is
now focused on pleasing God and not set in the patterns of this world, I will
be able to live a life that demonstrates and shows the actions (will) of God.
“test” - the means by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined; a means of trial.
“approve” - to demonstrate; show.
“will” - the faculty of conscious and especially of deliberate action; the power of control the mind has over its own actions.
I love how God brings His Word to
life when I study it! After doing this exercise, these words flowed from my
heart...
When I’m no longer focused on the temporary
ideals and patterns of this world,
I can have a clearer mind focused on God
and
what He desires of me
and live as He desires.
When I live my life as a sacrifice to God I am called to lay down my need for control - in every area of my life. My perceived notions and ideas that have been formed by the ideals and patterns of this temporary world keep my fists clinched tight onto things that are better left released to God's loving hands. I love what Lysa says about the releasing of our control to God...
If we hold all that we treasure with our hands open and our palms facing upward,
we are telling God we recognize it is His and we offer it up freely to Him.
God may or may not remove what we've offered Him, but He will continue to
fill our open hands with blessings - His amazing blessings and not the cheap
counterfeits of this world.
I don't want my disobedience to cause me to miss out on God's best for me and for my family! I want to release my need for control and have #PalmsUp that willfully show a heart that says #YestoGod!
How do you feel God is calling you to have Radical Obedience? I would love to hear from your heart, so please feel free to share in the comments below.
Blessings to you,
Laurie
Ah...control! I know it well...and like you, I'm trying to let it go!
ReplyDeleteWell then, Tristine, we can pray for each other! :-)
DeleteBlessings,
Laurie
I'm looking for that clearer mind and the peace that comes from being "no longer focused on the temporary ideals and patterns of this world!" I hear you, loud and clear.
ReplyDeletePraying God will help us both with this, Misty! :)
DeleteBlessings,
Laurie
Laurie,
ReplyDeleteYes, Control is often the big bug-a-boo that I face. I want to do everything so perfectly that I can't even get started sometimes, for fear of messing things up! I like your recognition that our sacrifice doesn't have to be food or drink or fancy clothes--often we are called to sacrifice our own pride. Great post!
Yes, Sandi! The root of control rests in pride that has to be uprooted. It's hard to admit, but necessary. Again it's about releasing those closed, clinched fists into open, #palmsup hands. I feel so strongly that is what God desires of me and He's used circumstances and people in my life that I love dearly to show me this in the past year.
DeletePraying for you,
Laurie