SACRIFICE IS HARD!
The other day I asked my 3 year old to share his bike with a friend. He did not want to do that! In his mind, that was time away from his favorite toy and ultimately, it was a huge sacrifice!
For us, sacrifice could look like many things:
We sacrifice eating that cookie because we want to see a lower number on the scale.
We sacrifice time away from our families because we choose to work.
Ladies, we sacrifice our own bodies to house a baby for 9 months.
We sacrifice our finances to give to a greater purpose.
The list could go on. We sacrifice in so many ways, yet it doesn’t make it any easier.
SACRIFICE IS HARD!
Let’s turn our attention to Jesus… He was the ultimate sacrifice. He gave up His own life so that we might live.
“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10
Thank you Jesus! We are a sinful people in need of a Savior. Jesus offered his own body once and for all! In the New Testament, Paul writes about sacrifice in his letter to the Romans.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1
No longer are we required to offer blood sacrifices to draw near to God (as in the Old Testament practices). Thank the Lord! Rather, Jesus served as the ultimate sacrifice when He went to the cross. Now, He is asking us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. What does that mean? One of my recent devotions put it perfectly,
“We are called to sacrifice our sinful nature, our active temptations, and our selfishness in an ongoing act of worship and praise to God, whose sacrifice alone makes us worthy to stand before Him.” -She Reads Truth
Once again, SACRIFICE IS HARD! This is a daily challenge and we must continually humble ourselves. We aren’t going to be perfect but we can rest in His grace. Jesus has taken our place once for all.
So, “...let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:15-16
Sacrifice is a huge aspect of worship. It is one of the ways we respond to God’s goodness and grace.