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A Birthday Like No Other

"Therefore, I  urge you, brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship."  Romans 12:1

I celebrated my thirty-third birthday about a month ago.  Out of all of the birthdays I've been granted, thirty-three was the biggest milestone for me thus far.

Sure, turning sixteen, then eighteen, and even turning thirty had their own excitements, but there was something different about turning thirty-three.

We glean from Scripture that Jesus began his earthly ministry around the age of thirty years old.  His short ministry lasted about three years and concluded around the time He was thirty-three. 

I wish I could say that prior to my thirty-third birthday that I was totally surrendered to Christ.  Sure, I was faithful to Him, but I rationalized my service to my family and my various church responsibilities as sufficient service to Him.

This birthday was different, though.  I turned the age that Jesus was when He died on a cruel cross. . . .
FOR ME. 

I decided that the year He died for me would be the year that I truly started living for Him.

Once again, a song truly speaks what my heart feels.  Listen for the undeniable state of surrender that is implied in the chorus of this wonderful hymn that we sing in church.

O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to Thee.
For Thou in Thine atonement,
Didst give Thyself for me.
I own no other Master.
My heart shall be Thy throne.
My life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for Thee alone.*

I can't sing that song without mentally visualizing myself completely laying my life at Christ's feet and saying, "Here I am.  I'm Yours and all I want to do is serve You.  I give you my past, my present, and my future."

I have made the firm commitment to worship God with my life.  I have been given such a tremendous gift in the atonement of my sins on the cross that the least I can do is honor Him with every fiber my being. 

Maybe you're looking at your life and wondering if your life represents that of a "living sacrifice."  Ask yourself these questions:
  • Have you ever totally surrendered everything to Christ? 
  • Do you view each day as an opportunity to glorify Christ with your life?
  • Did you make a commitment to live for Him at some point in time, but you got off track and your commitment has waned over the years?
  • Have you given Him your heart, but haven't fully trusted Him with your life?
My prayer is that you would be burdened today to make a very real commitment to offer your life to Christ as a daily offering of worship.  Find a quiet place to steal away to and spend some time in very open and honest conversation with God about where your heart is and where you want it to be. 

It took my thirty-third birthday for me to come to the realization that my sacrifice for Christ paled in comparison to His sacrifice for me.  He gave His life for me.  I choose to live my life for Him.


*"Living for Jesus", Lyrics by Thomas Chisholm, Written in 1917.



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