Matthew 10:38-39
...And anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Carrying cross is a lesson in sacrifice. Sacrifice does not require us to follow a mountain of unattainable, unfollowable laws. Neither does it ask us to go into monasteries deep into mountains to live a life of asceticism. Sacrifice is not those outwardly behavior. One can live an ascetic life in a monastery for decades, and yet still be too proud of himself. That's not a lesson in sacrifice.
Many years ago, I resigned my meteorological work to spend full time preach gospels. At first I felt very spiritual, indeed I was feeling proud. In the end, God placed me in a small rural town where I couldn't do anything. By then, I went back to God humbly admitting that I indeed was unable to do anything. So "sacrifice ourselves" is not about outward behavior. Because no matter how wonderful our outward behavior is, we could still be very self centered. "Sacrifice ourselves" is about our attitude, whether for the sake of the Lord, we are willing to remove anything that prevents God's work, so that the glorious life of Jesus Christ can manifest in ourselves. To learn the lesson of sacrifice, one first need the willingness to allow God to do His work on oneself. We always ask God for the heart of Love. But how to increase our heart of Love? It is to put someone we are uncomfortable by our side to train us, so that we have more love of God flowing within.
A brother once testified that he was very impatient. He constantly asked God to deal with his impatience. In the end, God prepared him a secretary who was slow and patient. Thank God, he knew that this was what God wanted him to learn. So he accepted it with gladness. We believe that God give tremendous blessings to those whom God used greatly. Indeed, God give them tremendous blessings. However, what we don't see are many failures, tear, and pains that they endured. The reason that they were used by God was because they had repsectful, obediant hearts, willing to learn the lessons that God gave them.
There is a movie named "Forever Faithful." In the movie, there were Christians in jail whom, inspite of not able to feed themselves adequately, gave their food to others. I was very touched. I truly understood that those Christians were not born with loving hearts, neither were they born with the understanding of love. It was because they totally humbled themselves to God, willing to sacrifice themselves. As for Christians, to be God's disciples is to let Jesus be our Lord completely. It is easy to say that we are following the Lord, but are we willing to follow in our hearts? May the Lord help us to have willing hearts, and to willingly take lessons from Him. May we follow God not only in words but also in action! 
Lord, we thank you because you loved us and sacrificed for us first. May you help us in our daily lives so that we are willing to sacrifice ourselves for you. May your sacrificial love flow through us so that all those around us can experience this precious love. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen! |
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