On the Matter of Sacrifice

I just finished reading a book called “Revolution in World Missions,” and it has got me thinking. Time and time again, there is the issue of sacrifice. It is not anything sadistic, like human sacrifice, but self-sacrifice. Sometimes, I think I’m doing pretty well. I don’t have a job currently, so monetary sacrifice isn’t a primary focus. Even when I do give out of what I have saved, however, I feel fine about it. It was a sacrifice. But really, how big of a deal was it?

Giving the portion of money I did, however big or small, is not going to make me go hungry. It will not impair me from walking around outside with securely covered feet, or make me colder when the winter months come around. It doesn’t keep me from occasionally going out with friends or even from the luxuries of dessert. What, then, am I truly sacrificing? I have known that I am blessed in so many ways. I have a great family, amazing friends, Godly leadership, and I know no important material want or lack of sustenance. I wonder what it is that I have actually been sacrificing. The only thing that comes to mind is time. Even with that, I know it has not been enough.

Now, that feeling, the internal push to give, do, and sacrifice more, is even stronger. It is a feeling that says there is so much room for growth, and then more room beyond that. There is a deep challenge here. This kind of sacrifice is directly tied to giving, though giving alone may not be sacrifice. The way I look at it, giving is not enough unless you give and give and give and until you finally meet some kind of actual sacrifice. I am not saying we must go hungry to do right, but I hardly understand how we can give ourselves a pat on the back for something that took no effort. I don’t mean to sound preachy here. Mostly, I am talking to a mirror.

There is so much think of. There is so much self-evaluating to do. On top of that, there is so much potential to change for the better.