The Reasonable Altar

Paul does not ask for a feeling. He asks for a body. We would rather give God our emotions on a Sunday morning than our hands on a Monday afternoon, but the Spirit will not let us split the gift. The altar wants the whole man: the eyes that look, the tongue that answers, the feet that go where they please.

Notice the word living. A dead sacrifice is offered once and is finished. A living sacrifice must be offered again every morning, because it keeps climbing down off the altar. That is the battle of the consecrated life. The first surrender is not usually the hard one. The hard part is staying there when the fire gets hot and the flesh starts reasoning with you.

And Paul calls it reasonable. It is not a heroic thing for the few. It is the only sensible response to the mercies of God. If He gave His Son for me, what is unreasonable about giving Him myself? The unreasonable thing is to hold back.

Before you plan your day, ask Him plainly: “Lord, is there any part of me I have kept off Your altar?” Then do not argue with what He shows you. Lay it down, and leave it there.