First post on the way to a best selling novel

Okay...maybe not. It's fun to think about, though.

I have spent the last couple days studying Romans 12. I have read Romans somewhere around eight times. Somehow I must have just skimmed over this chapter every time. How??? One of the most practical chapters in the entire bible. Here are some observations.

First of all, verse one punched me in the face. Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. My personal lifestyle as of four weeks ago was in no way an act of worship. Four weeks and three days ago God got hold of me about this. He dramatically changed my lifestyle. I am not implying that I have achieved a Godly lifestyle, but I do know that HE has made huge changes in my life. Now I pray that I stay faithful enough to continue to allow Him to sharpen me even further, remembering that this body He gave me comes with expectations.

Verses four through eight are what made my mind go nuts last night. Think about the process of salvation. One moment I am doomed to an eternity that is unthinkable in spite of all the "good" I do. In another moment Jesus Christ says "I have paid your price." The encounter with Christ begins the coolest process a person could ever experience. God sent His Son so that I could experience life with Him. Then, He fills me with HIS Holy Spirit. Not mine, HIS. Are you kidding me? That Spirit endows me with certain gifts that I am expected to find and USE! The God who made this universe and everything in it expects me to be available for His purposes. He has gifted each of us for a very specific reason. He has a use for me. Does that freak anyone else out? God extended un-explainable grace to me. God filled me with His Holy Spirit and He did it for a reason. He has an expectation that I will honor those gifts and serve Him with everything I have.

No pressure, right? I can truly say that serving Him in new and ever more challenging ways has been so amazing. I cannot wait to see what the next challenge is...