Friday, July 29, 2016

Today’s Reading  |  Romans 12:1–8
So, brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service. Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature.

Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you. We have many parts in one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function. In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other. We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith. If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful. (CEB)

Reflection
In the Contemporary English Version translation, these verses from Paul’s letter to the Romans begin with “Dear friends, God is good.” These words of encouragement aren’t meant just to get us through difficult times but to have us to think about how God can change the way we think so that we can be pleasing to God. We are asked to use good sense and to measure ourselves by the amount of faith we have been given. Later we are told that faith and gifts are much the same as Paul goes on to talk about the abilities or gifts that we are given.

As I look about our church family I see these gifts, almost like name tags, on each of us. I see prophesy in our teaching and ruling elders who help discern direction for our congregation; those who teach are all around us in Sunday School and the Academy for Faith and Life and group discussions; encouragers help seek out the gifts of others that might otherwise go unnoticed; givers make possible our plans and dreams; leaders take on positions of responsibility; and those who care for others, like Stephen Ministers, do it with love and cheer.

It takes all of us, working together, as God wills us to do. In other verses Paul talks about the parts of the body that have to be knit into one. By being the best we can be in our roles, we can “offer our bodies to God as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing.”

Prayer
Father God, we are many and diverse in our gifts. Thank you for the abilities you give each of us. May we act as you would want us to act. Amen.

Written by Roger Wilson, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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