Sacrifice involves choice. Love is a choice. Choose to love outside of yourself.
The Nature of Jesus – Sacrificial
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.
Ephesians 5:2
A story is told of a fire that burnt down a farmhouse in western Canada. As the embers cooled, the devastated farmer was walking over the ruins and noticed a burnt lump on the ground. He prodded it with his stick and saw that it was a hen, burned to death. The farmer turned the hen over and to his surprise, out ran three chirping baby chicks. The hen had died in the flames even as it saved the lives of her helpless brood.
The above story can be compared to the sacrificial love of Jesus that is so contrary to human nature. The way of the world is all about gratifying self, it is an attitude of ‘do what you want’ which has no care or consideration for other.
We say that we want to be like Jesus. Practising a lifestyle of sacrifice and reflecting Christ, is only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. This requires denying ourselves and not caring what we may have to go through for His sake.
Today we may have trouble loving some people. It might be a husband, wife, brother, sister, a close friend, a colleague or a neighbour. Instead of asking them to sacrifice themselves to please us, is it possible for us to demonstrate the sacrificial love of Christ to them? The only way we can do this is by allowing the cross to become our focus, and finding our identity in His death and resurrection. Then the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead; the same Spirit who also lives within us, will give life to our mortal bodies and transform our hearts with His sacrificial love to love the unlovable.
Dear Lord,
I come to You in Jesus’ name. I thank You for Your sacrificial love and great compassion for me. Thank You for softening my heart and taking away the hardness to help me walk in obedience in loving others the way You have loved me. Amen.
God bless you,
Theo & Manju