Jun 24

It is natural to want to live. God put that desire into us so that we would not give up in the face of the challenges of existing day to day.

But he also calls on us to deny ourselves this most primitive of all natural instincts, for his sake. We are called upon to recognize that God's right of ownership of even our very souls is higher than our own urge to live. Even life itself is not too great a sacrifice for us to make when it is God to whom we give this greatest of all sacrifices.

Now, this is not a call to suicide, as we are witnessing in some religions in the world today. It is far more of a sacrifice to go on living for God in a decaying and frightening world than it is to give up and ask God to take us away from it all into the perfect peace of heaven.

We are to be living sacrifices to God, not dead offerings. For as living sacrifices, we are able to renew our witness to the world every day, rather than be a one-time offering. God may call us to be a martyr, but that is a different thing than suicide. Martyrdom is death by a call from God that glorifies him; suicide is death from self that draws attention to self.

"Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship" (Rom. 12:1).

Scripture for today: Romans 12:1; Romans 14:7-9
Thought for today: Whether through life or death, my life belongs to God.
Prayer for today: Help me to live and die for you, Lord.

JUN 24