Selfishness versus Sacrifice
In this day and age, it seems like everything is magically conformed to convenience. How many times have you had a thought like, "They should just handle it this way...it would be easier." and magically, as if your brain were in tune with the universe, the update is made and you are now living in the reality of the brilliant idea you had just days ago. Whether it's movie tickets, bank statements, take-out orders, etc- everything is designed to be most convenient for you. This cultural norm is accelerating more rapidly than ever before. With the technology and information revolution at hand, updates and upgrades are a given in virtually any capacity.
While this is ideal for all of us, it has in many ways spoiled us into thinking of sacrifice as a thing of the past. Some of the most important decisions in our lives are based on sacrifice. The most important being the choice you make to receive Christ as your Lord and savior. Acceptance is the first step. As you begin to grow and walk with him, you realize that this commitment takes sacrifice. There may be times where you come to a place of discomfort with the decision you make to be a doer of his word. In Romans 12:1 Paul, in view of God's mercy, urges the offering of our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God as true and proper worship. Worshipping God with the way you live your life requires sacrifice. It requires commitment. If we were the type of people who defer to the most convenient and self serving way to do things, we would begin to place our walk with Christ in a capacity that is most convenient for us. Jesus told his disciples that whoever wants to be his disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow him. Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for him will find it (Mark 16:24-25).
Sacrifice and commitment are two very important components in the overall structure of our existence- as believers, and in all other facets. Do not allow yourself to be so far removed from commitment and sacrifice that it hinders your ability to do what the Lord has called you to do.
While this is ideal for all of us, it has in many ways spoiled us into thinking of sacrifice as a thing of the past. Some of the most important decisions in our lives are based on sacrifice. The most important being the choice you make to receive Christ as your Lord and savior. Acceptance is the first step. As you begin to grow and walk with him, you realize that this commitment takes sacrifice. There may be times where you come to a place of discomfort with the decision you make to be a doer of his word. In Romans 12:1 Paul, in view of God's mercy, urges the offering of our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God as true and proper worship. Worshipping God with the way you live your life requires sacrifice. It requires commitment. If we were the type of people who defer to the most convenient and self serving way to do things, we would begin to place our walk with Christ in a capacity that is most convenient for us. Jesus told his disciples that whoever wants to be his disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow him. Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for him will find it (Mark 16:24-25).
Sacrifice and commitment are two very important components in the overall structure of our existence- as believers, and in all other facets. Do not allow yourself to be so far removed from commitment and sacrifice that it hinders your ability to do what the Lord has called you to do.
Dealing with Offense
What do you do when someone offends you? And I don’t just
mean a superficial offense, such as cutting you off on the freeway, or failing
to hold the door open for you on your way into the office. I mean real offense
like betrayal, lack of appreciation, or belittlement. Even after you’ve thought
about it and allowed your emotions to settle, you are still bothered by it. You
may have even talked it over with someone you trust and consider to be wiser
than you. And even that person acknowledges your right to be offended. They
urge you to talk to the person about it. After all, communication is key. How
will they ever know that they’ve offended you if you don’t communicate that to
them? You consider a rational conversation with the person, in which you both
will remain calm while maintaining honesty. You are confident that you will
make your concerns known, and your offender will be convicted and vow to
change. You rehearse the script in your head- how you will say things, how the
other person would/should respond (funny how the other person never sticks to
your version of the script). You are confident that this is what you should do,
right? Wrong.
Before you resort to what many view as healthy
confrontation, I urge you to pray about it (1 Thess 5:17). All adults have
encountered some pretty deep offense at some point in our lives. The bible
tells us that trials come to make us strong (James 1:2-8). This may be an
instance for you to grow as a person. Seeking the Lord for strength is an act
of faith, showing that you trust God to work out the situation. What a relief
it is to know that your issue can be resolved without you having to have a
single conversation with the offender! The higher you go in your walk with
Christ, in your relationships, in your career, and in your life- you will
encounter various types of people, attitudes, and beliefs. God has a desire to
elevate us according to his plan (Jeremiah 29:11). It is in our best interest to
show that we trust God first when dealing with people. It is best to pray
earnestly for the person who has offended you. Put your trust in God, and ask
that he soften the person’s heart, and lead them to a place of understanding.
You will be blessed by this. It may not always be about the other person. The
issue may be you. Whether it is a need for you to strengthen your prayer life,
a need for you to strengthen your faith, a need to strengthen your leadership
and/or submission- God will never leave you hanging. Trust him with your
offenses.
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