Morning by Morning, October 14 - “Our Everyday, Ordinary Life -- Our Sleeping, Eating, Going-to-Work, and Walking-Around Life”
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I’m listening for Your leading, as I seek to begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...
This morning You’re bringing to mind the calling of Romans 12:1 to “present (our) bodies to You as a living sacrifice” and how You then apply that to our calling as the “body of Christ” together -- each presenting the part we have, with each part being necessary to fully living into our calling and destiny as Your body in the earth:
“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another” (Romans 12:4).
And now I’m seeing how powerfully this Word is freshly expressed and jumps off the page to come to life in The Message translation. This is the stirring in my spirit, as I take hold of Your Message in my heart today -- for me and my part in the body of Christ, and as I pray the same for every part joined with me and joined together in You:
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life -- your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life -- and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him.
In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of His body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.
If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.
Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.
Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. ‘I’ll do the judging,’ says God. ‘I’ll take care of it.
Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good” (Romans 12:1-21 The Message).
Yes, Lord. That’s my prayer. Let it be so in me and in the body of Christ, as we present our lives, our body of Christ to You as a living sacrifice. Not just a “shallow, churchy, religiosity life” but our “everyday, ordinary life -- (our) sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life.” In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you live our your life and your part in the body of Christ with great joy and passion in who you are today, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries
Messiah Ministries' Mailing Address:
412 S. Adams Street #148
Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
Please share this word to encourage a friend!
Anyone can sign up for free to receive them at:
