‘The sense of sacrifice
in the Christian life is readily appealing to a new Christian. From a human
standpoint, the one thing that attracts us to Jesus Christ is our sense of the
heroic, and a close examination of us by our Lord’s words suddenly puts this tide
of enthusiasm to the test […] Your sense
of heroic sacrifice is not good enough. The thing the Holy Spirit will
detect in you is your nature that can never work in His service. And no one but
God can detect that nature in you. Do you have anything to hide from God? If
you do, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin in your life, don’t just admit it— confess
it. Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master, whatever the humiliation
to your right to yourself may be? […] Never
disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important
enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He
is detecting in you. You were looking for some big thing to give up, while
God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing
lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, “I will not give up my right to
myself”— the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a
disciple of Jesus Christ.’ CHAMBERS
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment
was He said there are two .. Love God and Love Others (Matt 22:37-39). To love God means that you must surrender to
Him and His will, to love others is to lay down your own life for them (John
15:13). It is easy to talk about .. even boast about .. the things you have
given up to follow Jesus … there is some feeling of satisfaction like you have
done a good thing .. and what others to know how ‘spiritual’ you are. Although Jesus addressed the need for us to
reject the things of this world as our source of satisfaction, Jesus didn’t say
it was the third greatest commandment.
If you do the first two, devotion to material
things will take care of itself. The Bible
says you cannot love God and money .. (Matt 6:24) Loving God will take care of loving money. And if you don’t love it, letting it and the
things it buys, go will be of no significance to you. But the sacrifices that are significant have
to do with the loving God and others. Submitting
to the will of God in the face of all human reason … Treating others as more important
than yourself. Going to someone who has
wronged you to be reconciled .. even if they reject you … asking for
forgiveness when you have wronged another … those things that are done in
secret .. not in front of a crowd … remaining silent before your accusers …
letting God avenge your mistreatment … but also letting God rend your heart and
take you through the fire. These are not
things that we boast about to others, but things we ponder as we consider how
great is our God! Things that God receives as a fragrant offering from living
sacrifices (Rom 12:1-2)
You shine brightest as you live for an audience of
One.
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)
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