One Sunday during worship services, the collection plate came around to a little girl, who promptly took the plate out into the aisle, placed it on the floor, and stood in it. One of the bewildered servers approached her and said, “What are you doing?” The little girl responded, “In Bible class I learned that I’m supposed to give myself to God!”

In a way, the little girl had the right idea. God wants us to give of our means on the first day of the week, and give with a cheerful heart (1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:7). God also wants us to give ourselves in aid to others (Gal. 6:10; Phil. 2:4).

But giving our complete, total selves to God as a holy sacrifice is our ultimate gift. In Romans 12:1 Paul writes, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service..”

This living and holy sacrifice Paul urges us to present is not only what God requires, but it is also reasonable or logical that we would want to present ourselves in this way of service to our loving God. After all, if God has sacrificed His only Son so that we may have eternal life, is it not reasonable that we should give our physical lives in His service?