I love my job! Except for the work part.

 

   We as Christians entering a new year, need to remember that we each have a job and should be always trying to do things to improve in that job even if sometimes means doing some work!

 

Saint Paul gives us some good advice about three ways we can improve in the year ahead.

 

Romans 12:4 “For as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office, so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

 

   The three things Saint Paul tells us, in the short part of his letter to those Christians in Rome that we read today, even though it was long ago, are still things we need as Christians to keep in mind today.

 

   He first appeals for Christians to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”.

 

   We should, as Christians, be using our bodies in godly living and doing holy deeds. The consecration of our bodies to doing God's service, worshiping God, and working to build His Church is only right for those that have been redeemed by Christ's great love.

 

It is indeed only our “reasonable service” as Saint Paul puts it.

 

   Paul's second appeal is that Christians should “be not conformed to this world”.

 

   This of course is a constant struggle for Christians of any time period. We are not to conform to the world's ways, but instead to follow God's path.

 

  The world around us may find nothing wrong with things like abortion or adultery, but if we as Christians are constantly “renewing” our minds by studying God's words in the Bible and asking in prayer for the Holy Spirit's guidance we can have a clearer understanding of God's will for us.

 

   Finally, the third appeal of Saint Paul is for each of us as Christians , “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think”.

 

   That means we should think soberly of ourselves in regard to our gifts of service.

 

  It is a call for humility.

 

  We should not let pride stand in the way of our service to His Church.

 

  Just as in the body, all parts are important in their different functions, so are all the members of the Church.

 

  Each member has a role to play in doing God's work.

 

  No one should ever let false pride hurt the great work of spreading the Gospel message.

 

   So as we begin this new year then, each of us as Christians, need to rededicate ourselves to presenting our bodies to God through doing our duty of weekly coming to worship with his Church.

 

  We need to read the Bible more often and pray for the Holy Ghost to guide us to follow Christ and not the world.

 

  And finally, we each need to use the talents God has bestowed upon us, (and in whatever position within in the Church we are called to serve in), to help bring others to the wonderful knowledge of Christ.

 

Let us pray

 

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified : receive our prayers which we offer before thee for all estates of men in thy holy Church, that every member in his vocation and ministry, may truly and godly serve thee ; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen