Yesterday in worship we talked about the necessity and the importance of sacrifice. We cannot achieve anything important or worthwhile in life without sacrifice and discipline. It’s true in our relationships. It’s true in our careers. And it’s true in our financial lives. Sacrifice is necessary if we are going to be good and faithful stewards.
Our time together yesterday has me thinking about the sacrifices that have been made for me along the course of my journey. We like to think of ourselves as self-made men and women. You know – pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, etc. But the truth is, few of us would be where we are today without somebody somewhere making sacrifices on our behalf. Parents, teachers, friends – the sacrificial nature of these relationships has blessed us and has made our lives possible.
So, instead of thinking of sacrifice as an occasion for somberness, instead of approaching it with dread as you consider what you will have to go without, think of it instead as an occasion for gratitude – gratitude for all those times others have blessed you by giving sacrificially of themselves.
And then pay it forward.