The Tragedy of a Vandalized Life

When you made the decision to follow Christ, you entered into a binding contract with God Almighty that all of your life would be lived for his glory alone.  All of your life!  Not just some of it; not just your time in church; not just your early morning devotional time—you committed every single split second of it to him!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Now as serious as your responsibilities in that deal are, what you get out of it is still unbelievably grace-weighted in your favor, times infinity!  You see, in light of all that Jesus did to pull your no-good carcass out of the HOV lane to eternal hell, it is only right and fitting that your 24/7 existence should be offered in such a way that it is a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. Obviously, this is the only appropriate, logical and pleasing way to worship him.

Now in case you haven’t picked up on it yet, I’m only quoting what Paul said in Romans 12:1—just paraphrasing a little, since Paul didn’t know what an HOV lane was.

“Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.” (Romans 12:1, The Message)

God created you, and through his death and resurrection, Jesus recreated you, so that you could take your everyday, ordinary, sleeping, eating, going-to-work, walking around life—that about covers it—and use it in such a way that God will receive it as an offering of worship placed before his glorious throne.

That’s why even seemingly innocuous stuff like the private thoughts you entertain and the personal habits you tolerate and the unheard words you speak are extremely important—because God knows, God sees and God hears. (Psalm 139)  And God Almighty wants even your unguarded life to reflect his glory and grace.  The Apostle Paul said it well in Colossians 3:23-24,

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Since, as Isaiah 49:16 says, our “walls are ever before him”, let’s keep off the graffiti. What a tragedy it is to offer him a vandalized life—either in our 24/7 life or on the day we stand before him.  He deserves better—and we can do better!

Your Assignment, Should You Choose To Accept It

Read the entirety of Colossians 3 at some point today, and reflect on how well you are offering the various dimensions of your life “as unto the Lord.”