Time to decide

So have you ever gone to read one verse in the middle of a chapter and end up reading the whole thing? Don't worry even though I was tempted to I didn't copy the whole chapter. But I think I might break it into chunks and dig into it a little.

Romans 12, falls into the specific instructions for living the life of a Christ follower. The chapter starts by telling that we need to decide to dedicate our entire selves to God, He doesn't force us to but His desire is for us to be fully in relationship with Him. In the times that I have been able to minister to others and ask them what they need and they say "I want to know the will of God for my life". Here it tells you that God's perfect will for your life is that you don't let your mind be conformed to the ways of the world but to have it transformed so that it is in alignment with the mind of Christ. This transformation comes from deciding to set yourself apart and investing yourself and your time in Him. Paul also gives us a warning here, he tells us not to let ourselves get cocky and conceited in our abilities. But he also doesn't tell us that we need to be self effacing either. We need to have a clear vision of who He has created us to be, recognize that He is the source of our abilities and have a confidence in both of those.

Romans 12:1-3 AMP - I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him.