Excellence or Obedience? Integrity in our worship.

I was reading a chapter in a book called "Every Mans Battle" and the author brought out an oustanding theme that i think applies to all of our lives.

Arterburn and Stoeker explain the problem with maintaining the thought that excellence in our lives, when it comes to our personal integrity, and personal holiness, is not God's standard. Excellence, they explain is a mixed standard.
That breads relativism and also decieves us into thinking that we are 'good enough'

Obedience to God's word, on the other hand is a fixed standard. There is only one way to do what he says to do.

Romans 12
Living Sacrifices
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.


So our worship, our spiritual act of worship is to present our bodies as living sacrifices. This is where it begins to cost you something. Most of us can achieve excellence without it costing us too much.

Obedience will cost us everything.
This is a call for radical obedience and a prayer that God have mercy on me when I am not....