No Sacrifices in Light of Sacrificial Living
As much as I don't want to sacrifice the good in life (in my world that can mainly be summed up with chocolate, fresh french bread, and a good strong latte), I have been thinking a lot about the sacrificial living that God has called us to.
Life is full of sacrifice; this is how God has called us to live. Living with our hands held open, knowing that what we have is on loan to us for the time being. We are called to sacrifice the things of the world so that we may live the way of Jesus. As followers of Christ, we are given the ultimate model of sacrificial living – Jesus, who gave up heaven in order to save us from eternal damnation. Does this mean that we are called to give up all of our possessions, move to deepest darkest Africa and minister to the poorest of the poor? Maybe. But that is for each person to prayerfully decide. What I believe it does mean, is that we are to give up our claim to our life. We are not our own – someone paid the dearest price for my life. We give up our wants, desires, and plans for the greatest ultimate plan of all – God's. This means being willing to give up things of value.
Does living sacrificially mean that we live an empty, scary, controlled life? Just the opposite – when we are willing to sacrifice the dreams, possessions, and life that we value, we recognize that it is more important to live for God, and this is pleasing to him; it becomes a gift, not a sacrifice. Does this mean that there is no pain? Not necessarily, but tangibly giving something away can re-prioritize our life according to God's perfect plan. We are not entitled to a reward, but God delights in giving us heavenly rewards. And faith assures us that these rewards are greater than earthly rewards, even though there is no guarantee of any type of compensation now.
Life's rough. If there is any guarantee in life, it is that there is going to be pain, tough times, and loss. Faith requires a giant leap into the dark, telling us that sacrificing our desires for the Lord is the only way to live. Can we live life abundantly in-spite of the pain and the unknown? Absolutely. This is where joy comes in. We can find joy in living sacrificially because we know that we are giving up what we think is good for what God knows is best. We can't let the rotten in life get in the way of living life to the fullest. When we're living for God, we know that there is meaning in life. Finding pleasure in the small stuff – taste, smell, touch, sound, and sight – is something that we can truly enjoy only after we have found true wisdom in Christ; otherwise they remain empty. Acting as a wise person, we can find meaning in these things only after our allegiance has been pledged to the Lord. The world says – Don't make sacrifices. However, acting on this worldly wisdom, we will be lacking the fulfillment of submitting to God. I want to live a fulfilled life – grounded firmly in the Father, and finding life abundant in the world in which he has placed me.
Life is full of sacrifice; this is how God has called us to live. Living with our hands held open, knowing that what we have is on loan to us for the time being. We are called to sacrifice the things of the world so that we may live the way of Jesus. As followers of Christ, we are given the ultimate model of sacrificial living – Jesus, who gave up heaven in order to save us from eternal damnation. Does this mean that we are called to give up all of our possessions, move to deepest darkest Africa and minister to the poorest of the poor? Maybe. But that is for each person to prayerfully decide. What I believe it does mean, is that we are to give up our claim to our life. We are not our own – someone paid the dearest price for my life. We give up our wants, desires, and plans for the greatest ultimate plan of all – God's. This means being willing to give up things of value.
Does living sacrificially mean that we live an empty, scary, controlled life? Just the opposite – when we are willing to sacrifice the dreams, possessions, and life that we value, we recognize that it is more important to live for God, and this is pleasing to him; it becomes a gift, not a sacrifice. Does this mean that there is no pain? Not necessarily, but tangibly giving something away can re-prioritize our life according to God's perfect plan. We are not entitled to a reward, but God delights in giving us heavenly rewards. And faith assures us that these rewards are greater than earthly rewards, even though there is no guarantee of any type of compensation now.
Life's rough. If there is any guarantee in life, it is that there is going to be pain, tough times, and loss. Faith requires a giant leap into the dark, telling us that sacrificing our desires for the Lord is the only way to live. Can we live life abundantly in-spite of the pain and the unknown? Absolutely. This is where joy comes in. We can find joy in living sacrificially because we know that we are giving up what we think is good for what God knows is best. We can't let the rotten in life get in the way of living life to the fullest. When we're living for God, we know that there is meaning in life. Finding pleasure in the small stuff – taste, smell, touch, sound, and sight – is something that we can truly enjoy only after we have found true wisdom in Christ; otherwise they remain empty. Acting as a wise person, we can find meaning in these things only after our allegiance has been pledged to the Lord. The world says – Don't make sacrifices. However, acting on this worldly wisdom, we will be lacking the fulfillment of submitting to God. I want to live a fulfilled life – grounded firmly in the Father, and finding life abundant in the world in which he has placed me.
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