The Most Important: Mind
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday: Romans 11:1-6
Tuesday: Romans 11:7-10
Wednesday: Romans 11:11-16
Thursday: Romans 11:17-24
Friday: Romans 11:25-36
Saturday: James 1:22-25
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, remind me daily that you are God and help me to love you with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind and all my strength. In Jesus’ name, AMEN
Reading
Paul’s readers would have been familiar with dead animal sacrifices as opposed to a “living sacrifice”. God is much more concerned with our hearts than He is with what we bring Him. He’s concerned with the internal, not the external. It makes me think of Hosea 6:6, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” You see, what Paul has been telling us is that God desires an internal commitment and character transformation over the external rituals. Our relationship with God never was about a bunch of external rituals—you do this and I’ll do that. For example…we can’t go to church and then think “I’m doing the right things, now God will do His part”. Walking with God is based on a vibrant relationship, a living relationship with God that was made possible because of Jesus’ death.
What does that look like for you? First, think about who you are; identify the different things that make you who you are. For me, it looks like the following: I’m a father, grandfather, brother, a son, an uncle, pastor, small group leader, friend, husband, veteran, a mentor, a protégé, runner, and story teller. These are just a few of the different roles that make me, me. Then, there is my personality and all the different ways it works within these roles…and I haven’t even mentioned the resources that God has given me. All of this makes me distinctly me. Throughout today I will operate within at least one of these capacities. Paul said that I should offer it all to God as a “living sacrifice”! Why? Because it is Holy and pleasing to the Lord! Everything I do in all the different capacities of my life are to be done for His Glory.
Today that means typing out devotions, answering a phone call, working on an ice machine, meeting with a guy, checking on a sick grandkid, cutting the grass, cleaning the house, cooking dinner, spending time with Patty, and doing small group—all of it done for the glory of God!
It’s funny how, when you view it from this perspective, it changes your attitude. We don’t do life with a sense of drudgery; we realize all we do has eternal value. It’s true! Even if we don’t fully understand it, it all has value because it all brings glory to God.
Mairen Medina-Torres