12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.^[a]2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

What would it truly mean to present ourselves as a living sacrifice?

First and foremost, it would mean taking every thought and action into captivity to the will of Christ. Thinking and acting with a mind always to Christ and what He would expect from us.

On the surface that may seem a pretty easy task, but nothing could be further from the truth. The world, our enemy, and our fallen state conspire to drag us, in thought and action, ever away from the mind of Christ.

Thus, we must be ever vigilant all forms of input around us. The analogy of walking daily into war is an apt one. We are continually, day in and day out, behind enemy lines. Every step can be a potentially dangerous one where we can come under fire or find ourselves in the middle of a mine field.

That daily barrage to our senses can wear us down. One misstep and we are sliding backward down a slippery slope.

Thus, we must consecrate our selves daily to God’s plan, the Spirits direction and with a focus on Christ.