Romans 12:1 “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.”
The definition of sacrifice found in my Webster’s II New College Dictionary is, “Forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one thought to have a greater value or claim.” I think this definition hits head on what Paul is saying about sacrifice… “I appeal to you… to present your bodies as something highly valued but given to the Lord for His sake, for He has a greater value or claim… which is your spiritual worship.”
Most of us value our lives very highly in that we keep them fed, clothed and clean. When Paul tells us to give our bodies as a living sacrifice, we understand God to have a greater worth than our lives could ever have.
I truly believe that.
I know that my life will add up to nothing if I didn’t have the love and forgiveness from God AND eternal salvation because of His Son dying on the cross to cover my sins. Jesus’ sacrifice is the only way that I am able to come before God… without it, I could not be holy and acceptable to God and would not have hope for the rest of my life.
Following God’s calling in my life has been quite the adventure. Going into college I pictured myself getting a degree in math and education, then going on to find a job in a high school. On the way, my path went different than I had expected… sophomore year I was asked to lead a Bible study, which stretched me many ways. Junior year I was asked to be a part of the campus ministries leadership team which allowed me to grow spiritually with others who were strong in their faith. Senior year I was asked to lead the students of the leadership team, a task I did not see coming. These were such big responsibilities that I did not feel capable of doing them on my own… but the Lord equipped me and worked through me and I saw many students grow in their faith because of what God had done in their lives.
This picture is of the students who were on the leadership team (plus our advisor) who saw God work in their life and also see the importance of sharing the Gospel with other students on campus. They were an amazing group to work with!The definition of sacrifice found in my Webster’s II New College Dictionary is, “Forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one thought to have a greater value or claim.” I think this definition hits head on what Paul is saying about sacrifice… “I appeal to you… to present your bodies as something highly valued but given to the Lord for His sake, for He has a greater value or claim… which is your spiritual worship.”
Most of us value our lives very highly in that we keep them fed, clothed and clean. When Paul tells us to give our bodies as a living sacrifice, we understand God to have a greater worth than our lives could ever have.
I truly believe that.
I know that my life will add up to nothing if I didn’t have the love and forgiveness from God AND eternal salvation because of His Son dying on the cross to cover my sins. Jesus’ sacrifice is the only way that I am able to come before God… without it, I could not be holy and acceptable to God and would not have hope for the rest of my life.
Following God’s calling in my life has been quite the adventure. Going into college I pictured myself getting a degree in math and education, then going on to find a job in a high school. On the way, my path went different than I had expected… sophomore year I was asked to lead a Bible study, which stretched me many ways. Junior year I was asked to be a part of the campus ministries leadership team which allowed me to grow spiritually with others who were strong in their faith. Senior year I was asked to lead the students of the leadership team, a task I did not see coming. These were such big responsibilities that I did not feel capable of doing them on my own… but the Lord equipped me and worked through me and I saw many students grow in their faith because of what God had done in their lives.
People and situations came into my life to prepare and make me who I am now. College was a turning point for me and I know it is a turning point for everyone else who is blessed with the opportunity to go. I also know how important it is to keep looking to God those four years and having someone there with you, encouraging you, walking with you on that journey… invaluable. That is one of the many reasons I feel called to be a living sacrifice to God… by giving my life in service to Him, putting a pause on the teaching, and working with college students for the next couple of years.
This is a picture of a group from my college who went on a campus ministries retreat together.
I will be placed on the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point campus, which has a great Campus Crusade already up and running. I hope to be able to get there in the summer as I am raising financial support right now. At Stevens Point I will be leading Bible studies, meeting one on one with girls to encourage them in their faith, finding people in the dorms to talk with about Jesus, and many other things! I am very excited to get there!
picture of students from Stevens Point involved with Campus Crusade
If you would like to know more about this ministry or how you can be involved I would love to tell you! My email is Erin.Ruff@uscm.org and keep checking back to this blog as I will keep it updated on how God is moving in people’s lives and in my own! J
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