Lent: Day Twenty ~ Sacrifice

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Lent: Day Twenty ~ Sacrifice

God sent His Son to die on the cross for our sin; the ultimate sacrifice. And here we are a nation finding it hard to sacrifice even a parking spot to the person who arrived opposite you at the same time. You hurriedly jump in the spot and you see it was an elderly woman with no handicap spaces available, seeking a spot close to the store. You scoot out of your car, hey because you were there first, and you rush in the store.

Do you recognize that scene? No? How about the person on the highway, doing the speed limit that you feel you NEED to pass up because they’re going too slow? A hurried race to get wherever you are going, doing whatever you were doing only to arrive at the same exact location you had planned.

Sacrifice. No one is willing to sacrifice one moment, one second of their time to complete the task they selfishly set out to do for themselves. Maybe this post should be about control because basically that’s what it is, the need to control every aspect of your life, not giving anyone else a moment of your sacrifice.

Sharing, sacrifice, caring about others feelings; these are all things the world is depleted of. I see the nation squandering opportunities of sacrifice to have the me, me, me position. Everyone has the truth, everyone has the proof, everyone dawdles their days away because truly, sacrifice isn’t in their vocabulary.

I was asked recently if I was Catholic. Because I celebrate Lent; she was curious to know. It was an honest and fair question, after all I say I’m a Christian and I’ve never really specified myself as attached to a certain religion. Yes I attend an Evangelical church, we’ve also attended a Baptist church and yes I was raised Catholic.

BUT I do not define myself AS an Evangelical, Baptist or Catholic, I define myself as a Christian, a spiritual Christian at that. Lent, to me, is a part of my Spiritual Christian journey. Sacrifice is part of the Lenten experience, to me. TO ME!

I sometimes get confused during this time because as I’m sacrificing, there are many people around me who don’t even acknowledge it as Lent and continue in there day to day life, over-indulging in ignorance and hate and selfishness and the consumption of life in general.

It puzzles me as how they can complain about something as simple as rush hour traffic, or the long lines at the food store, or not being able to get that parking spot closer to the door of the store. Humanity puzzles me when they don’t have one ounce of sacrifice in them.

How many people unknowingly suffer because you’re to prideful to sacrifice one iota of time, hate, mischief, misunderstanding and judgment?

It is really weird, because I spent twenty years sacrificing my life in a marriage that didn’t work two ways. The reasons behind failed marriage are because of sacrifice and compromise that two people couldn't agree on. Relationships are severed because it wasn’t worth the sacrifice. To some, sacrifice means everything while to others it means nothing. When two are not willing then one is left alone.

Lent to me is a time to find where more in my life might be sacrificed for others. I find no joy in living and never putting other people first while I’m off thinking of what I can selfishly accomplish today.

While sin is set on eating us away until we don’t even recognize the path we’re on is empty of worth, I’m off thinking how I can make a person feel that they are worthy. It is my goal to put you before me and see where it carries me.

Now if the whole world could think of Lent as a spiritual journey instead of just a religious holy time, I think more and more people would understand the fruit of sacrifice. Why is everyone set on what the materials fruit produces and never concerns themselves with the spiritual fruit salvation brings?

Sacrifice five minutes of hurriedness to slow down and take your time. Sacrifice the moment of hate and instead share love. If we can acquire 24 hrs of moments that we sacrifice bad with good, the world will then take a spiritual spin with you, otherwise the rotation will always be the same. Every day you will wake, seeking solace and finding none. More and more negative will flow in and soon it becomes too much of a burden to bear, then it consumes you.

Sacrifice…if God can do it for us, I think we OWE it to Him to TRY and do our best for Him.

 Pss. 54:6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.