Felt Sacrifice

Sacrifice. It’s a word we hear a lot in the Christian community, but I don’t think it’s something we always truly comprehend, especially in the western world.  Here in India people offer their best sacrifices to their gods in hope for a blessing. They give their last rupee in hopes for a healing miracle. They bring special fruits and sweet treats to their gods that they themselves can’t afford to eat, but they sacrifice to the gods that they might reap a reward, a blessing, a hope of tomorrow. I often cringe at the emptiness of Hindu’s unmet reward; it breeds hopelessness, doubt, and even death (spiritual and physical). 

Sacrifice is not a sacrifice without giving something up. In a true sacrifice you will feel the effects of the giving. Thankfully with Christ Jesus when we sacrifice we will reap the reward He has in store for us.  Perhaps the reward is simply more death to self and more of Christ alive in us. Perhaps the reward is more than we can think or imagine, but thankfully there is reward in sacrifice to the One True God. I am learning sacrifice is a choice on our part as believers and it is paralleled with submission. 

The Lord keeps reminding me “the time is now”.  In many aspects of life, we see the Lord asking us to sacrifice and submit to Him, to choose His will and His timing. If I hesitate to follow His prompting, I may just miss the opportunity He is giving me or perhaps even the opportunity I have been seeking and praying for. This month we opened our home to one of our disciples, Krishna, to come and live with us.  Jesus often said, “come and see” to His disciples. We often feel that our disciples will best “see” who Jesus truly is and how to live for Him by having more quality time in our home.  

Krishna is our first boy to come and stay with us, but we know he will not be our last. We will moved Hadessah into our bedroom and made room for Krishna to have his own space in her room. Sacrifice is always felt in giving something up, but with Christ, sacrifice always brings great reward. We know this will not be easy and at times will impinge on our family time and more. We truly believe this is the will of the Father, and in that, we know that nothing will be wasted in our sacrifice. 

Please join us in praying for this transition in our lives, and also that Krishna would truly be able to “see” Jesus and be strengthened in his walk with the Lord as he joins our family. 

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