The Recipe for Spiritual Life

Today's Verse

¹Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function,⁵so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.⁶We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith;⁷if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;⁸if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.⁹Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.¹¹Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.¹³Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.¹⁴Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.¹⁸If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.¹⁹Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”²⁰On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.