ROMANS 12:1-2: “I therefore urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God’s will is—what is proper, pleasing, and perfect.” (ISV)

OBSERVATION: God – what is Your will for my life? This is a question every believer wrestles with. Once we place our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and once the Holy Spirit comes to live within our heart, we realize that we were created for a purpose that reaches beyond anything we have known or thought. Paul writes in I Corinthians,

• “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NKJV)

So how do we discover the things God has prepared for those who love Him? How do we discover God’s will – what is proper, pleasing, and perfect? Paul reminds us in the first two verses of Romans 12 – we must learn what it truly means to worship!

Worship is one of the most misunderstood calls in the church today. When someone says – “Let’s worship”, the immediate thought is – “Let’s sing some songs.” Yet, although worship may include singing songs, and prayer, these are merely expressions of a life that is committed to worship.

And here is the most important thing we need to understand – we can focus so much on the expressions or worship, that we never really enter into worship at all!

When Jesus encountered the woman at the well in John 4, He began a dialogue with her that led to the discussion of worship. When the woman was confronted with her need to repent, she quickly hid behind a discussion on the expression of worship. She asked Jesus which location was the proper location to worship – the high places in Samaria, or in Jerusalem. Jesus’ answer cut right to the heart of the matter, and in a different way said exactly what Paul reiterates in Romans 12:1-2.

• “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (‭‭John‬ ‭4:21-24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Discovering “living water”, discovering God’s proper, pleasing, and perfect will for our lives, will naturally flow from a life that is given to true worship. True worship has nothing to do with the style of our music, the longevity of our prayers, or anything else that is external. True worship has to do with our heart, and with God’s truth! This is why Paul reminds us,

• “I therefore urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds…”

True worship is about surrender. A living sacrifice is wholly surrendered. If something is removed from the sacrifice, it will cease to be a complete living sacrifice. When we compartmentalize our lives, holding back parts of our lives from the Lord, our worship is not holy (fully set apart), and pleasing to the Lord. Only a fully surrendered life and heart is the reasonable way to worship. And only those who worship in spirit and truth (having our hearts,, souls, and bodies surrendered to the Spirit, and His Truth), will fully discover God’s proper, pleasing, and perfect will for their lives.

To be a true worshipper, to discover God’s will for my life, I need to be willing to let go of any sin, any thought, and any activity that is not pleasing to Him!

Lord, transform my mind and heart today by the power of Your Holy Spirit! I want to be a true worshipper. I want to live my life fully surrendered as a living sacrifice, given wholly to You. Give me the grace to resist the pressure to be conformed to this world. Help me to have spiritual discernment to know when this is taking place, and to call upon Your Name for victory and deliverance. Lead me and guide me into Your proper, pleasing, and perfect will for my life.

In Jesus Name!