"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)

In Romans 12, Paul urges believers to offer themselves to the Lord as their spiritual worship. In chapters 1-11 of his letter, he discusses the Lord's mercies toward us in redeeming us from sin and giving us new life in Christ. Here, Paul turns his attention to our response as believers. Since we have been given such great grace, how do we now live?

Paul's answer is clear: the most appropriate response to the gospel is to offer ourselves wholly to the Lord. He tells his readers to present themselves in entirety to God. We should no longer follow the patterns of this world. Instead, our redemption in Christ should transform our thoughts and behaviors as we follow after God's good and perfect will.

But how do we worship the Lord in our lives as Christians? As writers, how do we worship Christ with our words?

Worship Through Our Lives and Writing

In the rest of Romans 12, Paul gives direction for living according to the Spirit rather than the flesh. The instruction he offers applies to our lives within our churches and communities, and I would argue that it applies to our work as well. As we read through Romans 12, we find not a list of tasks to complete, but rather active characteristics of a life transformed by Christ.

1: Worship in Humility

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."

Romans 12: 3-5

As we offer ourselves in worship to the Lord, we must not be boastful. Each of us should recognize God's goodness and live in humility knowing that all we have comes from the Lord. As members of Christ's body, we each have a role to play, but none of us is more important than the rest. We're not called to boast or compete with each other. Instead, we're called to serve one another in unity.

As writers, it's easy to fall into a pattern of comparison. We elevate our words or more often worry that we aren't good enough. However, we need to remember that writing is a gift from God. We shouldn't create stories to glorify ourselves or set ourselves apart. We write as an act of worship, fulfilling our role in the body of Christ with the goal of glorifying the One who saved us.

2: Worship in Obedience

"Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness."

Romans 12:6-8

As mentioned above, each member in the body of Christ has a role. The Holy Spirit gifts us with abilities we're called to use. Within the church, we need to be faithful to act in the role that we have been given. If God gives us the gift of serving, we should serve. If He gifts us with the ability to teach, we should teach. In performing the roles given us, we should work with zeal and cheerfulness. The work of the Lord is not simply a chore, but an act of joy. We should delight in serving God and serving one another.

This extends, too, to our writing. If the Lord calls us to write, then we need to be obedient to that calling.

3: Worship in Love

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.  Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.  Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."

Romans 12:9-13

The greatest calling of the Christian life is love. As Paul states in Romans 13:10, Love is the fulfillment of the law. When we love the Lord and we love our neighbors, we live in obedience to God's will. True, genuine love moves us to do good for others, not evil. Love motivates us to live in the Spirit, giving us reason to serve, giving us enthusiasm in caring for our neighbors. When we love God, we desire to do His will, to find hope in Him, to seek Him in prayer. When we love those around us, we want to care for their needs.

In our writing, love for the Lord and for our audience will shape the way we tell our stories. If we truly love, we'll want our words to shine with truth. We'll grow in our desire to encourage and to bring beauty and hope to those around us.

4: Peace

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”  To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Romans 12:14-21

Finally, Paul urges believers to live in peace with all. He reminds us to not live in strife with others. Instead of raising conflict, wishing ill on those who curse us, or seeking revenge on those who harm us, we should try to be at peace with others.

This doesn't mean that we neglect standing for truth, but that we should aim for peace by doing what's right. If we constantly seek to act honorably, even those who despise us will struggle to find fault against us. If we live with compassion, finding joy in the joy of others and weeping with those who mourn, we'll show that the love of Christ acts in us. Standing by the lowly instead of seeking our own gain and showing kindness to our enemies promotes peace rather than anger or hatred.

In our writing, too, we have opportunities to seek peace. We can share in the joys and sorrows of others through our words. Our stories can stand for truth in the face of opposition, and show new perspectives to those who have different experiences than us.

In humility, obedience, love, and peace, we can begin to seek after the Father's will and live according to His perfect purpose for us. And in offering ourselves daily to the Lord, we can worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Karley Conklin

Karley Conklin is a librarian by day, writer by night, and bookworm 24/7. She reviews books for Write2Ignite, as well as on her blog litwyrm.com