Last night, while reading my Bible verses for the day, I stumbled across these verses. This is the Message translation. I think that sometimes the Message is easier to understand, but I still love to compare a few versions.
Romans 12:1-2
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 its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
This is my desire. I do want to be different. And I believe I am. It is so important to keep our focus on the true reason we are here on this earth. It is very easy to get caught up in drama, and what feels good to us. What we want out of life, the car we want to drive, the bigger, better house, the perfect body- but at the end of the day, is this what matters? If you read this verse, what does it say?
Fix your attention on God. You will be changed from the inside out.
Um, excuse me, did you read that? Not just some of your attention, All. Of. It.
This is my goal. To not get caught up in the world, but to fix my eyes on Jesus, and him alone. I'd like to challange you to look at this verse that way too!
3 comments:
Love those verses in the Message. Yes, Jenna you ARE different, but in such a godly way. I, as your momma, am so proud that you 'get it' and are living your life to please HIM. Love you and the stand you take for Him.
Awesome post and great verses! I have been talking to my hubby about how hard it is to live in the society we live in. I have had self esteem issues because I always compare myself to others. Kyle finally said to me that I need to see myself the way God sees me. I am so thankful for his love. I am working, like you, to keep Him the center of my life. To be the person he wants me to be while glorifying Him.
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This is so encouraging! Especially as college is getting ready to start, it is so easy to get caught up in trying to be just like the world but that is not what it's about!!!! Thanks for taking the time to post those verses :) Love ya!
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