Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.     In this text, the apostle Paul, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, summarized our blessing and responsibility in the Lord.    In the Old Testament, animals were offered for sacrifice. They were sometimes tied down to the altar before being slaughtered. The death of the animals was a result of the sin of the people. It was the penalty of sin transferred to animals, and it had to be repeated many times because people continued sinning.   This is what Jesus did for us, with the important difference that His solution was not temporary, but permanent.    Today, because of Jesus, we don’t offer sacrifices of animals. We can offer the living sacrifice of our lives in service to God.    In the summer of 2024, the Olympic games were held in Paris, France We saw athletes who worked and trained the previous four years, and longer, just for the opportunity to offer their abilities as a living sacrifice in the international arena of the Olympic games. That training required “not being conformed to the world” in order to be prepared to compete. Depending upon the sport, the athlete had to change his thinking, his diet, and his lifestyle to develop his skills to the highest possible level.    Christians have a similar task within a much different context. All of our work is done through the empowering grace of God. Make no mistake, we have responsibility to follow God. Obedience and willingness to follow God results in becoming God’s “athletes” who can do great things in our world!   REFLECTION QUESTION: What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?     Key insight I gained today:   Today’s action item based on insight: