"We seem to think that God wants us to give up things! God purified Abraham from this error, and the same process is at work in our lives. God never tells us to give up things just for the sake of giving them up, but He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having, namely, life with Himself. It is a matter of loosening the bands that hold back our lives. Those bands are loosened immediately by identification with the death of Jesus. Then we enter into a relationship with God whereby we may sacrifice our lives to Him.  It is of no value to God to give Him your life for death. He wants you to be a “living sacrifice”— to let Him have all your strengths that have been saved and sanctified through Jesus (Romans 12:1). This is what is acceptable to God. CHAMBERS
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul said it doesn't matter what you have or do, if you don't have love the rest is wasted.  The greatest commandment is "love God with everything you have". That was Abraham's challenge with Isaac.  Did he love God or Isaac most?  John wrote "don't love the world or the things of this world.  If you do then you don't love God". (1 John 2:15) So many Christians have convinced themselves that they can do both.  They become salt that has lost its savor.... Good for nothing.  (Matt 5:13). Sound harsh?  God does not compromise on his place in our lives.   Elgin