Romans 12:1 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.

Every bit of this chapter is extremely applicable to being a good disciple of Jesus Christ, so choosing just part of it to write on is difficult. However, in a sense, all the rest of it is dependent on what this verse says, because in order to do all the other things properly, we have to give ourselves fully to God. The different nuances in this verse are interesting. Entering it phonetically in Japanese, Microsoft didn’t want to give me the proper character for what in English is rendered as “offer,” or “present.” The Japanese Bible translation I use uses the character that is used for a monetary offering, and Microsoft didn’t like that! Regardless of the terms used, our bodies are closely tied to our sense of self. This is why physical issues often bring strong emotional consequences. An athlete who is suddenly incapacitated by an injury can have a very difficult time emotionally. This verse is actually the answer to all of that, because our bodies are to be given to God, whatever their condition. Whether they are equivalent to a beat-up jalopy with over 200,000 miles on the odometer, or a shiny new sports car that has barely left the showroom, they are to be given to God. After all, He is the One with the true power and ability. Failure to recognize that is just fooling ourselves. This is why most people fear death so much: they don’t want to leave their bodies behind. Whatever degree of control we have over our bodies – and for most people, that’s a lot – the authority over them is to be ceded to God. The better we do that, the better we will realize that we are not our bodies, we simply inhabit them. Paul used the analogy of a tent. (2 Corinthians 5:1, 4) Tents can get pretty ragged over time! We are responsible for maintenance, and some people do better than others in that area, but we are ultimately not our bodies. Our bodies are tools to be offered to God for His use just like everything else He has entrusted to us.

This is an awareness I have grown into over the years. At this point, my body is still pretty serviceable, but I still look forward to leaving it behind! That’s not at all to say that I am to hasten my departure in any way. I personally know of many who suffer because of the state of their current body, but I am no fan of euthanasia! That, referencing this verse, is destruction of God’s property. I am to seek to be a good steward of this body I’m in, doing with it what God desires of me and nothing else. To use the car analogy, I’m to do oil changes and replace the wiper blades as called for, not to mention drive safely so as to avoid accidents. As a pastor, this is the lifestyle I’m to encourage in all the believers in my care, so that we may all be fully available for whatever God wants to do with us, for His glory. That is indeed true/acceptable/reasonable/spiritual worship.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the high degree of utility my body still has, despite the “numbers on the odometer.” Help me indeed use it exactly as You direct and desire, so that Your purposes for me may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!