The Message

I follow this lady on Instagram. I don't know who she is, (creepy right?) but I came to follow her through the oh so wonderful #mugswap. 

What's a #mugswap you might ask? Only the funnest thing ever! It's basically like secret santa, only with coffee mugs. It's every August and it's wonderful. You make fun connections and get to bless someone with a coffee mug and goodies that you've picked out for them only after a tid-bit of information given to you.

So anyway, this lady. Every morning around 6:00am she posts the bible verse of the day, with a fun creative background. It's the same bible verse that everyone else who uses the YouVersion app gets, but I enjoy reading the verse of the day through her posts. She also uses 'The Message' translation. I've always heard of a 'controversy' over this particular translation of The Bible, but that's not the point. I don't personally choose to read The Message simply because I can't ever figure it out. I personally think it's just a more modern, 'book' type read of The Bible that puts passages into more applicable context. ( whoa! big words)

Today's verse reads, in my particular preferred translation of NIV:

'Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship' Romans 12:1

I even have this verse highlighted. I took this to mean, that my physical body and everything it does is to be given to God as sacrifice. Whatever my body may do or be should be acceptable by God. That THIS is a true form of worship.

Now let's look at today's verse via The Message translation:

'so here's what I want you to do. God helping you: 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. Don't become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to it's level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, and develops well formed maturity in you.' 

I feel like this verse now has all the footnotes included that were missing before. Not only does it tell me what to do, but it also tells me how without changing the instructions or the result. 

This verse couldn't have come at a better time for me. Ya see, this past Sunday God spoke directly to me through my Pastor. He does this frequently but this past Sunday was like a big ol' bright shiny spot light right down on me. 

He talked about how to focus on the next steps in our faith. He talked about Paul's letters to the Philippians. Specifically when he sends his 'thank you note' back to them for supporting him financially through his ministry, when they had nothing to give. He specifies in Chapter 4 verses 11 - 12 saying:

'I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry. Whether living in plenty or in want'

He talked about our attitude and needing to have an attitude of contentment. 

He asked us, are we content with what we have? With what we don't have? Contentment isn't something that comes natural to us. We live in a culture that teaches us we need more, and if we work for 'it', get 'it' and have more of 'it' we will be satisfied. 

IT doesn't exist.

He talked about how we too, can learn the secret of contentment.

1. Resist Comparisons (Proverbs 14:30)

2. Be Thankful (Ecclesiastes 6:9)

3. Trust God. (1 Timothy 6:17)

 This hit home. I am the QUEEN of comparisons. It's my competitive nature, that drives me to become better than my old self and in reality, those around me. I skim over things daily that I am thankful for. I just brush it off as a part of life that is just 'given' to me and don't think that simple things like running water and the choice of food I eat is something that someone, somewhere may not have.

and Trust God. (whew!) He asked us to answer to ourselves...do we trust God? Want to know what my answer was?....

Sometimes.(!!!!!!)

Sometimes I trust God. 

I am a strong willed, independent, do it for myself kind of person. When a situation is out of my control, I find a way to change my situation to PUT it in my control. It doesn't work that way with God though. 

God used that sermon to break me. He humbled me and brought that spot light back to Him. I was a crying mess during that sermon and it's given me a lot of things to think about. 

So back to the verse this morning...

I read it and knew that it was important, and meant for me to see in The Message translation... 

Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Embrace what He gives us, the things we need, the things we don't need, but want. Don't fit into a culture that tells us we need more, that we need 'it', that we need control. Be content in God, be content in His decisions and His timing, and live our lives as a sacrifice to Him.

Friends,

He's got this. Don't compare yourselves to others, good or bad. Be thankful for what you have and where you are in life, don't wish for more, and most importantly put your faith in Him. 

be still and know...that He is God.

xoxo,

Rachel