Self-Presentation, Part 1

S

(Romans 12:1) I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable worship (NRSV).

O

Presenting one's body to God is a necessary task. Paul, having met Jesus, begged the Romans to make this intentional presentation. As a sacrifice, it means giving up something costly (my freedom to serve myself) for the benefit of something far better (serving God). As an act of reasonable faith, it means completely trusting Jesus that His sacrifice made us holy (purely God's) and acceptable (fully pleasing) to God. By dedicating ourselves back to God, we gain a reliable reference point for health ... God's image.

A (Personal)

Yielding myself wholly to God is very practical. It's an act of faith that answers my existential needs--I know who I am and where I'm going with my life. My starting and ending point is simply abiding in Christ. Like Paul, though lost at sea while traveling to Rome, was existentially secure by anchoring his hope and direction in Christ (Acts 27:23-25). Like him, I know that (1) I belong to God, (2) I serve God, and (3) I trust God.

A (Psychological)

This marks Christianity's radical departure from many psychological perspectives. Newer models of therapy reject the old medical model of expertism in favor of the privatization of morality.Watzlawick (Becvar & Becvar, Family Therapy: A Systemic Integration, 2003, p.198) asserts that each of us punctuates reality differently (i.e., our behavioral sequences are understood and meanings assigned relative to our private epistemologies). Similarly, Satir practiced family therapy with these four assumptions: (1) the natural movement of all individuals is toward positive growth and development; (2) all individuals possess all the resources necessary for positive growth and development; (3) mutual influence and shared responsibility (i.e., everyone and everything is impacted by, and impacts, everyone and everything else); and (4) therapy is a process involving interaction among clients and between clients and therapist (p. 201). In my opinion, these clinical assumptions--despite their apparent validity and practicality--are insufficient for existential guidance. Using Paul's shipwreck metaphor, it's like being lost at sea with a powerful ship but without a compass and map. Christ is the only universal and unfailing compass, map, and harbor.

P

Lord, I dedicate my body to You as a living sacrifice. To the extent that I'm able to do it, I offer myself with full integrity--forgiven of the past, faithful to You in the present, and free to be excited about an eternal future with You. Only in You is life abundant (John 10:10; 11:25). Thank You!