Preparing An Offering

There are many ways to worship God, and one pointed out countless times is "to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1). God wants us to use our bodies in this life as His tools, doing His work and proclaiming His message. As Christians, it is our duty to do this, but sometimes things aren't quite that clear-cut. There are times when we don't feel we can handle what He has set before us, and other times when we are aching to do something for the gospel and God says "Wait."

If you are an athlete, you compete in certain sports at different times of the year, and you use the rest of the time to train and prepare for those seasons. You devote even your off-season to preparing for the sport because it is important to you, and you don't want to be caught unprepared to run the race, or play the game. It's a little different with God, because He has called us to always be running the race (Hebrews 12:1). Still, like every aspect of our lives, there is an ebb and flow, and there are, so to speak, on- and off-seasons. We need to use the off-seasons to prepare, so that we will not be left behind when the next leg of the race begins. Below are some of the ways we can prepare.

1. Stay close to God
This is the most important on the list. It includes reading the bible, praying, all types of worship, and anything else that brings you closer to God. This is important not only because God should be the focus of your life, but because God can't call you to do anything if you're not communicating on a regular basis.

2. Keep your body healthy and prepared.
One tool God gives everyone is their physical body. He designed each and every body to ever walk the earth, and no two are exactly alike. God wants us to be good stewards of our bodies caring for them as the holy vessels they become when the Holy Spirit resides in them. That means we need to be careful about what we do to our bodies, and even more so what we put in them. We shouldn't look at the physical aspects of walking with Jesus as "How much can get away with" but "What is the best way to honor God in this situation?" Especially in this area, we try to push the limit as much as we can without actually "sinning." We look for ways to follow both God and this world, and it's just not possible, because God knows our motivation, and if we want other things more than we want God, it isn't pleasing to Him, even if we "follow all the rules." In Romans, Paul tells us that what a man considers "unclean" is unclean for him, but that if the things we eat and drink we consider pleasing to God, they are. Despite this, or maybe because of the freedom, every person should continually make sure that what they are doing is not displeasing to God, and if a person is not sure, it is better to just abstain than to risk sinning.

3. Hone your talents and abilities
Each person's body is made by God, and every person is equipped with a specific set of talents that are God-given. God does not blind-fold Himself and throw darts at a chart to see who ends up with what abilities. He has made each one of us deliberately, planning for our lives so that we would be "equipped for every good work" that comes our path in our lives (2 Timothy 3:17). God has given you the talents you have as part of His plan, and it is your job to use them. If God has given you a musical ability, practice. If you are good at a sport, keep your body sharp. If you are talented in math or science, learn as much as you can. If you learn languages quickly, become fluent in as many as possible. If you love being a mother or father with everything you have, be examples of children of God for your children and raise them in a way pleasing to God. Whatever your abilities, hone them to God's glory.

God has made us each different, and He has wants to use us each to further His glory in the world, whether that is through a profession, a mission trip, or some other way, and He wants us to be prepared for it. In 2 Timothy, Paul says "be prepared in season and out of season." God is ultimately the best person to prepare you for His work, and so nothing can take the place of actively seeking after Him. This list is just a few of the ways you can prepare yourself as an offering to the one holy God of the universe.