Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13
“What have you sacrificed?”
That was the question I was asked one night as I was teaching about the Christian lifestyle. The main topic that night was the the idea that if we want to see God move we need to have an unyielding commitment to the mission that God has given us. Commitment always involves sacrifice.
It was a tough question for me. You see, I wouldn’t trade my life and what I am doing for anything. I am convinced I am right where God wants me doing what God wants me to do. It was hard to think of what I had given up because what I have received from God has been so much greater.
The truth is, anyone who seeks to lead people sacrifices greatly. The greater one’s leadership, the greater the commitment. The greater the commitment, the greater the sacrifice. I could talk all day about the time, the money, the career, and the emotional sacrifice required to make a mark for God’s kingdom. The price is steep.
The Christian life is not a life of ease. It is one of determination and grit. It is one of selfless love. The kind of love that says, “I will give up my rights so others can know the freedom I know.” Jesus puts it plainly: the greatest love is the love expressed by someone who surrenders his or her life for others. And He didn’t just say it. He demonstrated it. That’s sacrifice.
This isn’t news, really. We all understand that the greater the commitment the greater the sacrifice. That’s why so many of us don’t really want to step into this deep a love. We see the cost as too high. It’s just not worth it to us. So, we regulate the sacrifice by regulating the the commitment. But here’s the thing: The greater the sacrifice, the greater the reward.
Jesus gave it all and inherited the universe. When we live out the kind of selfless love Jesus does, we become co-inheritors of that very same kingdom. Not in the future, mind you, but right here and right now. We get front row seats in every situation to see the power of God work in people’s lives. We get to experience the daily touch and feel the warp and wane of the movement of the Holy Spirit. We get to dream dreams and know that God is the author and sustainer of those visions.
That’s why it was so hard for me to answer that question that night. When what you get in return is so much greater than what you give up, it’s hard to see anything as a sacrifice. But you have to give it up before you can experience that perspective. On the backside, all you can see is the reward. It’s only sacrifice on the front-end.
