Romans 12:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
God has a plan for your life that is “good, acceptable and perfect”! It’s a good thing to seek God for direction regarding the decisions we need to make so that we can walk in the good plans that He has for us but far too often Christians are believing for a word from God regarding decisions they have to make and they are not a “living sacrifice.” What do I mean? Well, they are not living a “yes, Lord” life where they will do whatever God says. And this is evident by their neglect for the clear instructions that God has given us in His written word. You have your priorities out of whack if you’re seeking God about what job to take but you’re ignoring the instructions of His written word. This is not legalistic; it’s actually living like a believer and following Jesus! Obedience is not a sin, even if it’s difficult to obey and you really just don’t feel like it. The bible says to, “Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other…” (Ephesians 4:32). Sometimes I don’t feel like forgiving other people or being kind, but I do it because we are called to live according to truth, not feelings. It’s always the right time to do what’s right. It’ll be easier for you to hear from God in big things when you’re also seeking Him in the seemingly little things.
Walking in your calling and destiny starts with being a “living sacrifice” which means that you’re living a “yes, Lord” life; a life of surrender to God and His will. You may think that this is difficult, and it is extremely difficult unless you start in the right place. Before the writer talks about being a “living sacrifice” he says “by the mercies of God” or another translation says, “in view of God’s mercies…” This is the key to being a “living sacrifice”. When you see the mercies of God – the punishment and wrath that He is withholding from us because Jesus took our punishment – it will cause you to respond to Him with deep gratitude and as a natural response to His marvellous mercies you will want to worship Him, give to Him and lay your life down for Him. Yes, you will still need to choose to deny yourself (which is actually dead – Galatians 2:20) and follow Him, but the more we see and understand the finished work of Jesus for us, the more we will be empowered to live for Him.