Sacrifice

by Debbi Weeks

My friend, Sharon sent me an e-mail the other day with images from various World War II posters. I’ve been thinking a lot about sacrifice lately and these posters just seemed to shout “Sacrifice”! The Encarta World Dictionary defines sacrifice as, “a giving up of something valuable or important for somebody or something else considered to be of more value or importance.” The people depicted in these World War II posters knew what it meant to give up valuables for what they considered to be of greater importance – freedom through the war effort.

I think my generation knows very little of true sacrifice and the generation following knows even less – especially when compared to the generations that came before us. I know I sure don’t fully understand what it means to sacrifice. Yet, as believers we are called to sacrifice. The Christian life is a life of sacrifice. Christ sacrificed his life for ours and we are called to sacrifice our lives for His. We’re not called to die for Christ; we’re called to live for Christ.

Romans 12:1 (NLT) says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”

Matthew Henry’s commentary has this to say about our sacrifice:

“We receive from the Lord every day the fruits of his mercy. Let us render ourselves; all we are, all we have, all we can do: and after all, what return is it for such very rich receivings? It is acceptable to God: a reasonable service, which we are able and ready to give a reason for, and which we understand.”

So what are we sacrificing? What are we giving up for Christ - who is of greater value and more important than anything we could possibly forfeit?

We can learn a lot about sacrifice from Jesus. In Luke 22:42 He says, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Our sacrifice is the same – a sacrifice of our will, submitting to God’s will for us. And, just as Christ, we, through faith have the certainty that His will is better and greater than ours. That makes it easy (ha! ha!) to sacrifice! No, even in giving up we’re reliant on Him!

Father, God I praise You for Your sacrifice of Your Son for me.

I confess I sometimes take Your sacrifice for granted and selfishly neglect being a living sacrifice.

Thank You for the example of Your Son and previous generations in sacrificing for me.

Please enable me to be a living sacrifice.

In Christ’s Name, Amen.