Romans 12:1-2

A living sacrifice... not conformed to this world. Easier said than done. Easy to hear the truths and words flow from our mouths. How truly difficult is it to walk that talk and live it out? The two go hand in hand: be a living sacrifice by not conforming to the flesh but living for Christ in all that we do. In my recent past, early in my walk with Christ (about three or so years ago) I did not know what that meant. I had heard it said over and over again by those who loved me and loved Jesus more. I am a people pleaser so not "giving in" was difficult. I wanted to belong to the groups around me... unfortunately for me those groups did not involve the "Christian" group. I did not want to be left behind and it is easier to fit in the "other" groups. I did not want to be "that girl" so even though the little voice inside my head said "no don't do it, you know it isn't right", my fleshly desire to fit in consumed me. I was being conformed, not transformed.

It is amazing how God works through surrender. Surrender to God is not giving up... it is giving in to the one who knows best. It is amazing to look back, mostly over the last year and a half and see how God can transform a mind and a heart. It is awesome to see a journey or the heart over the last three years. And God did all of the work. God is the transformer, the one who blesses with grace, wisdom, love, and understanding. All we need is surrender. Complete surrender to the one who knows best. Complete surrender to the one who created all things, the one who wrote the Book of Life. The one who lived to sacrifice his life because of a love for all creation.
--------------------------
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice -- the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

~*Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)*~