Read Romans 12:1
Read Romans 12:1 from The Message
Take one step further, read The Message and change list to-- your basketball playing, family relating, school working, and chore doing life--
How do we live this kind of offering?
Two things: Philippians 2: 3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
Looking out for others is the best way to remain humble and not make it about us. What might this look like on the BB court? Teamwork, not being a one man show and not becoming frustrated with others mistakes. Instead we use our whole team and encourage one another at each person’s level of skill, NOT against perfection.
At home, this means continuing to consider others and not plopping down on the couch with only our own desires considered. It is easy to think we have a right to be selfish behind closed doors, but if we are doing NOTHING out of selfish ambition than that is an untruth.
Secondly, Live a life worthy of bearing the name of Christ.
Col 1: 10 “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work growing in the knowledge of God”
As the previous vs said, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. When we make anything about ourselves, then it is no longer honoring to Christ. Praying for God to help us live a life worthy of Him and to please him in EVERY way is an excellent way to start every day and every event. There will be times we are tempted to seek our own praise, this is a heart attitude that when we recognize it we must be quick to confess and turn from.
At times we can start out with a heart to honor God and in sneaks the desire to make it about us. These thoughts are not sin, it is what we do with them that matters. As soon as we recognize these distracting thoughts, we need to fight them and turn our hearts back to honoring God.
Even as I prepared this little 10 min encouragement the thoughts came in, “Hope they like what I say” I caught myself and thought “Yuck, this isn’t about me it is about turning our eyes and hearts to Jesus. I cried, “Father forgive me and have Your way.”
As I prayed I was reminded that God doesn’t need me, it is a privilege to be His tool. He could use a donkey or even a tree, but He uses us.
So as we live our ordinary lives to honor Him, our actions are a bright light to all those around us. Our teammates will be strengthened and want to do their best, our parents will be honored, our siblings will be challenged by our example and any unbelievers will be curious about what makes us different.
Read Romans 12:1 from the Message again.