Our walk with Jesus Christ can be difficult at times. We face many challenges and trials throughout our lives. The world tries to mold us and shape us by bombarding us with things that are contrary to the teaching and the ways of the Lord. We believers in Jesus Christ must stand firm upon God's Holy Word and adhere to His principles that are lined out in His Word. We must be careful in our walk with Christ and we should not walk as the world does. The world follows fleshly desires and wants nothing of what God offers. What the world has to offer only leads to emptiness and destruction. The world follows the devil's ways of wickedness, but we believers of Jesus Christ must follow Him and His ways.
Sometimes we may feel like we are in a huge game of chess. I have never been good at chess I must confess. There are several pieces on each side and not every piece has the same function. Some only move a certain way and others can move more spaces. Some pieces can only move diagonally and some move only a space or two at a time. When I was looking at the chess board the other night I was reminded about all of those different pieces and the different things they did. Each member of the Church, that is every believer in Jesus Christ, have their own function. We aren't all called to preach or teach, but we all have a certain task that the Lord would have us to do. It may not be glamorous, but it is still important.
The Apostle Paul spoke of something similar when he penned a letter to the believers in Roman. We can find the passage that I am talking about in Romans 12:1-8 which says,
"1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;
8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."
The Apostle Paul urges the believers in Rome and us as well to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. We are to live in a way that honors the Lord and brings glory to Him name. We are not to live in a way that conforms to the way of the world. We are not to partake in wickedness and immorality as the world does. We must think differently than the world and that can only happen when our minds are transformed by the Holy Spirit and by the reading of God's Word, the Bible. We should think upon God's Word and we can do that by memorizing Scripture.
We believers must remember the great grace that we have been shown by our Lord Jesus and we should not think highly of ourselves as if we had any part in our salvation. The Lord is the one who did all the work for us to receive forgiveness of our sins by sending Jesus to die on the Cross for our sins.
When we place our faith and trust in the finished work that Jesus accomplished on the Cross on our behalf we become a member if the Body of Christ, that is the Church. Every believer in Jesus Christ has a part to play sort of speak in the Body. We don't all have the same function or the same moves, but we are all important to God and we all have a purpose.
We all have different gifts that the Lord has blessed us with and it is with those gifts that we are to serve others and we are to honor God and bring glory to Him with those gifts that His has so greatly blessed us with.
May we no longer be conformed to this world, but let us be transformed by the renewing of our minds by the Holy Spirit. Let's use the gifts that the Lord has bestowed upon us for His glory and serve others in love and humility.
God is so good and He loves you. He wants each of us to use our talents to serve others and also to draw more people to Him so they too may become apart of the Body of Christ.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Thank You for Your love and grace.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
Help us to renew our minds.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
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