romans 12

On my list of to-memorize for this semester:

Romans 12, Philippians 4:4-7, and John 15.

Romans 12 has hit me like 40 times already this semester. Every part of it. There's a part talking about being a living sacrifice - to be dead to ourselves, burned up, alive in Christ and given wholly up - I believe that's crucial. Another part talks about not conforming to the pattern of the world - I've found that we can live radically in the smallest ways (in honoring our parents, or loving our work, or encouraging others, for example). The chapter also speaks of being transformed by the renewing of our minds, and as we fall deeper in love with God and are soaked up with His knowledge and heart instead of our own, our life philosophy shifts from "me, me, me" to "God, God, God," without guilt or shame, but in pure delight, love, and joy. And He makes His will known to us through that.

We are all part of the body of Christ. Each member belongs to all the others, and we all have different gifts. And whether we're called to be ministers in the workplace, ministers within the church, missionaries, pastors, prophets, teachers, apostles, or any combination of the above, we do it all faithfully and diligently knowing that they are all blessings from the Lord. Though we sometimes judge and knock each other down - saying "you spent too much time at church," or "you don't serve God because you don't spend most of your time at church," in the end, we are all members of the Church. Christ's bride.

Verses 9-21 have yet to come up, but who knows...