Heart Matters: “Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which cost me nothing.” 1st Chronicles 21:24
I’ve been a follower of Christ for many years now but this principle of sacrifice is something I’ve only recently began to comprehend and embrace. Sacrifice from the stand point of what Christ did for me at Calvary was something I got. After all, it was His Spirit illuminating me with this truth and convicting me of the sins the LORD paid for me there which led to my salvation. I can clearly recall all those years ago how I was so excited to know the LORD and yet at the same time so fearful about potentially having to suffer for his name. I vividly remember telling Jesus “Lord I love you, but please don’t call me to suffer.” Somehow I just knew that suffering was, had to be, a vital part of following Christ…..and I wanted nothing to do with that part of it.
Fast-forward many years later and I have not only suffered in many different ways, but am also very grateful for how the LORD has both blessed and called me to do so. I had to spiritually grow to understand that without the refining fire, well, I wouldn’t grow spiritually. I had to learn about the Sovereignty of the LORD, how my identity as a peculiar person for HIM means that nothing can enter my life without first passing through His nailed pierced hands. I also had to accept the kind of LOVE the LORD had for me, so sweet and good that HE would lay down His life for me, and so strong and tough that HE would teach me how to lose my life in a way that I could fully live for HIM. I now know and have grown in spiritually maturity to know that the suffering the LORD allows in my life has a purpose-and it’s always GOOD. As I said before, with the LORD, the end always justifies the means.
Yet while I finally learned the importance of suffering for the sake of Christ. I still turned a blind eye to the principle of sacrificing for Christ. You see suffering is usually unwanted, an uninvited circumstance which has been in some way thrust upon us. But sacrifice is a choice we have to willingly make.
WHEN JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SIN, HE CHOSE BOTH TO SUFFER AND TO SACRIFICE FOR US
Jesus chose to sacrifice His life and suffer on the cross for you sins and mine. Therefore, it should go without saying that being willing to sacrifice for the LORD is just as important as being willing to suffer for HIM. Our willingness to both suffer and sacrifice for HIM is indicative of our level of surrender to HIM.
THE PRINCIPLE OF SACRIFICE
I want to say I had a sort of mental block (a very stubborn one at that) when it came to this principle of sacrifice. I’m a true believer that the LORD calls us to opportunities to sacrifice for Him in order to bless us to one day hear “well done My good and faithful servant.” He doesn’t really need anything from us but HE lovingly gives us the privilege to bless and serve HIM. Furthermore, when we sacrifice, we get to identify with HIM. However, up until recently I was gravely overlooking the ways the LORD was calling me to sacrifice. I’m going to share with y’all just how foolish I have been in one particular and profound area of my refusal to heed the call to sacrifice….to my shame. I want to say approximately 13 or 14 years ago (maybe longer) the LORD began waking me up every morning at exactly 5am on the dot! I knew it was HIM, because for one I am not a morning person and secondly it was always 5am on the dot. Therefore, I knew HE was waking me up to spend time with HIM. Sometimes I responded by getting my butt out of bed while stilled extremely sleepy eyed and foggy brained to give the LORD a few minutes of my time all the while longing to return to the comfort of my bed and the satisfaction of my sleep. I have to say when I did get out of the bed, my goal was to check off my list and return to it as quickly as possible-that was the extent of my best effort. But most times I responded by looking up to the LORD, smiling, and saying “Aww LORD I know that’s YOU, YOU’RE so sweet” and then rolling over and snuggling under my comforter even more. I thought it was okay. Because sacrifice is a choice after all…isn’t it? (We’ll come back to this).
Now let me tell you how gracious the LORD is and how HE responded to my failure in this thing. After several years of waking me up at 5am, HE changed the time to 5:30am. HE would wake me up like clock work every morning at 5:30am…on the dot. This went on for years. For years! And I still responded just as I did when HE woke me up at 5am. Eventually, after many years, HE ceased waking me up early. And I thought wow well its Him saying “its okay…you don’t have to get up early to spend time with ME,” and I was grateful. Afterall every time I shared with other believers how HE wanted me to get up early to be with HIM, they would gently rebuke me by saying that it’s okay to spend time with HIM at any time of the day. Especially when my head is more clear, even if that meant right before I went asleep.
I guess they were willing to overlook the principle of “first fruits” and how in the Old Testament they were called to sacrifice the unblemished. They were called to give to the LORD first and not last and they were called to take the time to select the best for HIM.
So, there I was, living my life, thinking all is well between myself and the LORD. I was still experiencing HIM and HIS blessings! Well then how did I come to realize that I was out of order and that my unwillingness to sacrifice the way HE had decided for me was disobedience? It’s simple! HE told me so HIMSELF!
Notice I said my unwillingness to sacrifice was disobedience. Isn’t sacrifice a choice? Yes, it is! That’s the beauty of it, we can choose to sacrifice or not. However, it can be a bit more complicated than that. There are times when we can choose on our own accord to offer a sweet-smelling aroma to our LORD through some sort of sacrifice we decide to offer HIM. For example, my neighbor Ms. Rosa decided she wanted to do something really special for “her LORD.” She shared with me how because of how good HE is to her she wanted to forgo something that would cost her to show her love for HIM in a very special way. So she decided to give up alcoholic drinks. She loved having occasional margaritas and she enjoyed bourbon with milk in the winters. Although she didn’t drink in excess and in now way had a problem with it, it was something she especially enjoyed in social settings and had exercised her freedom to do so. But she decided to forgo it altogether…just for HIM and she has never faltered in her commitment to this sacrifice. It costs her at times but she’s glad to do it.
On the other hand, there are times when the LORD HIMSELF will call us to a particular sacrifice. And even though yes, it is still a choice, the choice to say “no” in this case is one of disobedience. When the LORD selects the sacrifice, we should choose to gladly submit.
Talk about the LORD being long-suffering. HE suffered my disobedience for many years. There’s more I could share about this process but it would be a whole “nother” blog post.
All I can say the LORD led me to realize that I was CALLED to this sacrifice of getting up early in the morning to spend time with HIM. HE has given me this privilege to offer up the first fruits of my time and attention to HIM. It is there that HE SPEAKS TO me.
He showed me something about myself too. I had to acknowledge that I really don’t like to sacrifice especially when it comes to my flesh. Don’t ask me to fast because I don’t want to give up food. Don’t ask me to wake up early because I love to stay up late and sleep in as long as I can. But what did the apostle Paul say about his flesh? He said he crucified his flesh daily. And what did Jesus do concerning His flesh? The Perfect, Sinless, LAMB OF GOD, allowed HIMSELF to be crucified for us!
THE PERFECT SACRIFICE
“Therefore, when HE came into the world, HE said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come- In the volume of the book it is written of Me- To do Your will, O God.’” “Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10: 5-10
Jesus allowed HIS flesh to be torn and sacrificed to save us.
HEART TO HEART: IF WE WERE WORTH THE SACRIFICE TO JESUS, WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO SACRIFICE FOR HIM.