“Therefore,
brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a
living sacrifice , holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual
worship.  Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is good, pleasing,
and the perfect will of God.”
– Romans 12:1-2
 

One of the joys of coaching is watching young players grow and mature. 
A skinny and awkward 15-year old can come back from a summer vacation
looking like a totally different person.  It isn’t unusual for an
athlete this age to put on twenty pounds and grow several inches in a
very short period of time.  It’s also possible for a young athlete to
look completely lost and confused for much of the season, then have the
light come on and compete like he has played all his life.  These
transformations are as beautiful in the eyes of a coach as a botanist
watching a caterpillar become a butterfly.

In Romans 12:1-2, Paul speaks about the transformation that should take place in our lives when we accept God’s grace. 
There should be a sharp contrast in the before and after.  Paul says we
must make a total commitment to God and our lives are to be a “living
sacrifice” to Him.  British athlete, C.T. Studd said, “If Jesus Christ
is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to
make for Him.”  We must pay attention to the music we listen to, the
thoughts and actions of those around us, and the urge to conform to the
world we live in.  We must give Him not only our lives, but our service,
our praise and our possessions.  We must learn, as best we can, to
think like God thinks as revealed in the Bible.  When we sacrifice our
body, separate ourselves from the world and transform our mind, we can
find God’s perfect will for our life.  That’s a life worth living!