In Romans 6:13 I read, “Give yourselves to God . . . and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes." (GNT)
God wants me to learn to be a giver, not a taker. He wants me to surrender to Jesus by laying down every area of my life.
Jesus said, “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 TLB).
Notice the phrase “only those who throw away their lives.” What does it mean to throw away my life? It means I submit myself to God for his purposes.
Romans 6:13 says, “Give yourselves to God . . . and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes” (GNT). When I give myself to God and let him use me, life becomes an adventure. That’s when I really started to live!
When I say, “Okay God, I’m not going to live for me anymore. Instead, I’m going to live for you and for others. I’m going to learn to lay down my life and my plans,” God will provide for all of my needs. The Bible says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33 NLT).
How do I make the Kingdom of God my primary concern? I care about the things God cares about. God doesn’t care about money and fame. He doesn’t care about a lot of the things we care about. He cares most about people.
Surrender my life to God. Build my life around the things that are most important to him. He’ll make sure I have all I need, and I’ll find true purpose in life.
In summary, I need to give myself to God . . . and surrender my whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes. God wants me to learn to be a giver, not a taker. He wants me to surrender to Jesus by laying down every area of my life. Jesus said, “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake ... will ever know what it means to really live”. What does it mean to throw away my life? It means I submit myself to God for his purposes. When I give myself to God and let him use me, life becomes an adventure. When I say, “Okay God, I’m not going to live for me anymore. Instead, I’m going to live for you and for others. I learn to lay down my life and my plans,” God will provide for all of my needs. How do I make the Kingdom of God my primary concern? I care about the things God cares about. He cares most about people. So I should surrender my life to God and build my life around the things that are most important to him. He’ll make sure I have all I need, and I’ll find true purpose in life.
My skills, and capabilities can serve many purposes, good or bad. In Christ, every part can be an instrument for service. It is the one to whom I offer my service that makes the difference. I need to give myself completely to God, asking him to put me to good use for his glory.
Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me.
Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, doing well and making a difference in others lives. I pray all these things through your Son Jesus’ name, Amen.
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