Day 53 — A Life Offered to God

Day 53 · Growing in Holiness, Love, and Wisdom · Romans 12:1-21 (NET2)

Paul’s appeal begins with God’s mercies. In response, believers offer their whole lives to him and learn a renewed way of thinking. Gifts are used humbly, love is sincere, and evil is resisted without personal revenge. This is a rich passage; read it slowly rather than rushing to master every instruction. Choose one response through which God’s mercy can shape your day.

Request

Father, let your mercies reshape my thinking and my treatment of others. Amen.

Read

Romans 12:1-21

¹ Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God —which is your reasonable service. ² Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

³ For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith. ⁴ For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, ⁵ so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another. ⁶ And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷ If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; ⁸ if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.

⁹ Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. ¹¹ Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer. ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited. ¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. ¹⁹ Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head. ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Scripture: NET Bible, Second Edition (NET2).

Reflect

1. How does the opening appeal to God’s mercy frame the practical instructions?
2. Which instruction names a response you need to practice now?

Restate

Restate one instruction as a personal response to God’s mercy.

Respond

Let the passage guide your prayer. Use these prompts in your own words:

• Praise: Praise God for his abundant mercies.
• Thanksgiving: Thank him for gifts to use in serving others.
• Confession: Confess one attitude this passage exposes.
• Intercession: Pray for a relationship strained by conflict.
• Petition: Ask for grace to overcome evil with good.

Carry it into today: Choose one instruction from this passage and put it into practice today.