Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13 (TNIV)
This saying of Jesus is simple to understand and difficult to embody. It illustrates the fourth core value of Pathways: sacrifice. Here’s how our description of the value reads:
Here the teachings of Jesus become very unpopular. True love transcends self and ease and therefore requires sacrifice. God first demonstrated that love to us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, on the cross. As an act of worship, and in response, we give our lives, sacrificially, to Him and to those around us. To follow Jesus is to reflect His giving nature; to take more interest in the needs of others than of ourselves.
How have you found this value to be true? How have you found more fulfillment in living for others rather than yourself?
Who is someone that you admire and respect because of their willingness to give of themselves for the sake of others?
If we are called to live a life of sacrifice for others, how do we keep from being taken advantage of?
What keeps us from giving of ourselves for the benefit of others?
November 14th, 2005 at 8:30 pm
We throw around the word “love” a lot in our culture, and I think most of us would say we love someone “a lot.” However, what is love - a warm feeling, a dependence, a give-to-get, a possessiveness, a fulfilment of self? I think the word “sacrifice” cuts through all that and defines the highest form of love - the Bible kind of love - God’s kind of love. The kind of love He has and works out for us his children. Here’s a question for you - can we have the highest form of love for another person without sacrifice?
November 17th, 2005 at 12:54 pm
Certainly true, authentic love is wrapped up in sacrifice…great observation Chuck.
- Sacrifice is a part of the equation that Christ gives us for “life to the full.” It is counter to what we learn from our culture, but the idea that sacrifice is fulfilling (and more) makes sense according to Christ. I even think our world and culture would agree with sacrifice as a value if it looked at the idea from the right perspective. Consider why giving and serving feel so right…why spending a $1 at the grocery register to donate to any variety of charities feels so right…why putting our change into a “Jerry’s Kids” jar feels so right…because were created to sacrifice…it is a part of living “life to the full.”
- Getting taking advantage of is usually about making sacrifice about you, not sure that that is real sacrifice. However, relationship must play role in sacrifice as well. Being open and honest allows me to relate any feelings of hesitation or discontent with those I am trying to serve. This is only effective in a relationship though.
- I think my biggest obstacle to sacrifice is memory. I forget that behind the pain/inconvenience/etc. of sacrifice is a greater prize…authentic life with Christ…living as he has called…living “life to the full.” I forget that I don’t have a monopoly on what is best for me. Others may not have experienced the fullness of living a life of sacrifice and may simply need to experience it. Then it becomes about reminders, reminders, reminders.
Have a great weekend!
Jeff
November 17th, 2005 at 3:25 pm
Do not respond as the world responds.
Every day is a new day and today has its own cares; therefore enter into the day with prayer. Without daily communion with God our walk with Christ is blind and futile.
How can we do the work of Christ without edification, renewal and instruction! Christ prayed Before He went to the cross. There is our example; it is not in man’s natural mind to have the attitude of selflessness and sacrifice, but of self consumption.
Prayers and fasting are to the spirit what a sanding block is to calluses.
Prayer is the daily sanding block and fasting is the heavy duty once in a while sanding block.
We are representatives of the Kingdom of Heaven. If you go to a resort and the service which represents the resort is horrible you won’t recommend the resort to you friends. We are to be servants! We are to be gracious host. This does not mean tickle ears with flowery speech or accommodate non-believers in their sin, but to put down our flesh and not respond as the world would, but rather, as Christ responds. To do this we must keep in communion with God and forsake not the gathering of one another.
November 18th, 2005 at 12:40 pm
Another question: can we have sacrifice without love?
November 19th, 2005 at 12:37 pm
Chuck - good question. I’ll take a stab at answering your question. I would say Yes, but not in the sense that our Creator talks about.
I can sacrifice something when I think it will benefit me somehow. It goes back to the concept of Kharma. If I have a belief that good deeds are eventually returned, I can sacrifice on other people’s behalf, but the motive of my sacrifice is for my own benefit.
The concept in Old Testament Scripture is that of covenant - Khessed. The meaning of this word is “to act in the best interest of the other.” This is the way in which God acts towards us. He did what was not in His own best interest that we might be blessed when Jesus came and died. Maybe that’s the idea of sacrifice that we need to own. Acting on others best interest. I think I read that somewhere in Philippians 2:1-5. That is TRUE love - when I’m not interested in benefitting from my “sacrifice”.