“Being selfish to me means that you have to look out for yourself and you don't have to sacrifice.”- Herbie Mann
Sacrifice, as many probably know, is defined as surrendering or giving up something for the sake of another thing. I realize that this is common knowledge among most people, yet it is a concept that many people appear to either bypass completely or have been confused about. Sacrificing, in modern terms, does not mean taking the best animal you have out to slaughter in order to atone for all of your sins, for as we know, the only blood that has needed to be shed, was already poured out for our sins on the Cross by Jesus. Sacrificing in today’s terms means realizing that the one truly necessary sacrifice has already been made for us, so now we have been called to give up everything we have, including ourselves, and follow the One who made the sacrifice for us.
If we have clearly been given this call and understanding of the term, then why do we constantly turn away from our call, and gravitate towards the things that please us more? Why do we have such a hard time sacrificing ourselves, and living solely for Christ?
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” – Romans 12:1
Now, I realize this is one of the most well known verses in the bible, yet it is one that people (including myself) constantly skip over. How many times during the day do you genuinely ask yourself if you have given everything you have completely to God, and that you will undoubtedly follow His will not matter what? I would be willing to bet, that if we were completely honest with ourselves we would answer not very much. The thing that jumps out at me in Paul’s words is that he isn’t just saying this would be beneficial, he is pleading with us to do this, to him it is a necessity. Paul knows that in order to live in a truly right relationship with God, we can hold on to nothing that this world has providing us with, but we can only hold on to what God has provided us. It is imperative that we sacrifice all of ourselves to God, in order that his perfect and right will can be done in our lives.
Now, if you’re like me, your next question is this one, HOW DO I KNOW WHAT GOD’S WILL IS IN MY LIFE, AND IF I AM TRULY SACRIFICING MYSELF TO HIS WILL?
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”- Romans 12:2
This is what Paul is saying about how we know and understand the will of God, we sacrifice our lives to Him completely, we turn away from the things the world offers us, and through our relationship with Him (reading the Bible, prayer, and community with believers), we allow our minds to be transformed into his will. Now, this may seem like a foreign concept, but bear with me here because what Paul is saying is crucial to our understanding of our sacrifice. He is saying that Christ has made the sacrifice which connects us to God, He has made everything possible for us through Him, and now we must give all of ourselves up to whatever he chooses to reveal to us as our path of life. God will not leave you stranded alone without any knowledge of what He has willed for you, but you do have to work at a relationship and allow Him to transform your mind completely. Starting a relationship does not guarantee that you will automatically know everything that your life will hold, which is why people who are confused as to their own plans in life have not spent enough time digging into their relationship with God.
Realize this, in order to live the life that God has truly called you too, you must be willing to drop everything in order to follow Him, realize that He has given you all that you have needed, and strive for an active daily relationship with Him. Paul in no way is saying that everything will be revealed to you whenever you read one single passage of scripture, but what he is saying is that in order to figure out what God’s will is for you life, you must be involved in a relationship with God and open to anything that He may decide to throw your way. The whole purpose of this sacrifice is because God gave everything that we may experience true life in Him, but in order to experience true life we must accept the free grace that was given to us on the cross, and give all of ourselves to be molded into the image of Christ. You will never be perfect, but that is no excuse to quit striving to be like Christ, that is all the more reason to try to live like Him. Because He is the only one who can make you whole, and give you a purpose filled life.
The one thing I have realized in the last few weeks is that although I may get frustrated due to my lack of knowledge of His will, the more I strive to grow in a relationship with Him, the more he reveals to me through His word and the people He has placed in my life. Do not take advantage of the things He has provided, because they have all been given for His purpose.
Tim Keller stated that “the heart is an idol factory,” but in order to defeat the production of idols within ourselves, we must first surrender our heart to God. The only way to do that is through an intentional sacrifice of our will for our lives, in order to gain God’s will for our lives. He loves you, and will do what is best for you. Live for Him, and Him alone.
God Bless,
Trip Starkey
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