'The old monks
The old monks
"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
The old monks used to hide away in deserts and mountains and in monastery cells , as far as possible from human sin and need — and thought that the kind of service Christ wanted. But they were only wasting . . .
in idle reverie,
in useless sacrifice,
in unavailing suffering,
and in hideous self-torture —
the gifts which God had bestowed upon them to be used in serving others.
Only the living sacrifice is pleasing to God.
We bring our natural endowments, our acquired powers or abilities, our gifts and blessings, to His feet; and, touching them with His blessing, He gives them back to us and says, "Take these again and use them for Me in bearing joy, help, comfort, cheer, or inspiration — to those about you and in life's paths who need your ministries."