I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1 

 When we accept Jesus as LORD of our lives, we are no longer our own. Our lives must be lived in total surrender to God.

A living sacrifice is a life that says: 'have Your own way, Lord!' 

It is a sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God as our reasonable service, when we consider that Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for the entire world. 

When we present our bodies to God, we are giving up ourselves to Him to be used in whichever way He desires.

It means letting go of the cravings of the flesh because all of that has to be sacrificed so that God will be glorified in and through us.

We are no longer conformed to this world because our lives are no longer ours.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2 

In order for us not to be conformed to this world, our minds must be renewed daily through the Word of God.

Our minds will never be renewed if we are not careful about what goes through our eye gate; through our ear gate and through our mouth gate. 

These are all entrance points to the mind. Whatever we see, if it's not wholesome, it will poison our minds. Whatever we speak, if it's not life, we are already defeated because life and death are in the power of our tongue and whatever we listen to daily, if it's nothing but dirt, we are already messed up.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21 

We cannot love the world and the things of the world because that is the craving of our flesh. Once we crave after the flesh, we are spiritually dead. 

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 1 John 2:15-16 

We can only live a holy life for God when our whole lives become one of sacrifice. We have to give up those things that become stumbling blocks to our spiritual growth. 

When our lives become a living sacrifice, we become available for God to use us as He pleases. That is when we begin to grow, because God can now trust us as His own; a life dedicated for His honor and for His glory.  In the end it will be worth it because God honors those who honor Him.

Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me forever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:30 

It is worthwhile living a life of sacrifice because this is what God requires of us. May we seek the help of the Holy Spirit as we cannot live that life of sacrifice on our own.  The Holy Spirit is more than able to give us the power to live a life of sacrifice for God, a life that is fully surrendered to Him!