Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Sacrifice is something we are all familiar with and likely do on a regular basis in our day-to-day lives. We’re all willing to give something up for what we love more—it’s in our nature.

Sometimes the sacrifice is noble. Other times it's done from a more selfish angle. Either way, we make choices based on priorities, even though everything comes with a price. Have you ever sacrificed sleep to get more done? Or perhaps you worked more hours to increase your income so you could better care for your family.

That’s one I wrestle with. I tend to give my time away without even realizing that it can hurt people. When I give too much of my time to work, I feel good about being a loyal employee and helping others. But then I realize that extra time at work was at the expense of spending more time with my children.

Sacrifices aren’t unique to humans. Even God made sacrifices. Because of his love for us, he gave up his perfect son for us decidedly imperfect beings (John 3:16). And Jesus willingly came to earth to die for our sins.

John 1:14
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

He left the perfection of heaven to offer us a way to be with him forever through his death on the cross. That’s a huge sacrifice! And if we only believe in him, we gain eternal life. What a gift!

So how do we respond?

Hebrews 13:16
And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

These good works don’t earn our salvation—only our faith in Christ’s resurrection does that. We are called to be more like Jesus, who gave the ultimate sacrifice. We can do that by demonstrating his love to others, and this Christmas season is the perfect time!

This can be a hard holiday for some people. There are those who don’t even have the funds they need for basic necessities. If you have extra, perhaps you can sacrifice a little to provide someone with much needed assistance and hope. Sacrifice isn’t only made through gifts or tangible items. Some will be spending their first holiday without a loved one. That always makes me want to try harder to bring them joy. What about you—are you willing to sacrifice a few minutes of your time to help someone?

We all need to remember that the greatest bringer of hope and joy is Jesus. So the best gift we can give this Christmas is to sacrifice a little of our time to help someone realize what Jesus has done for us. That gift has the potential to help so much more!

Questions:
What do you, or will you, sacrifice in order to follow and live more like Jesus?

Is Christmas a tough holiday for you? Have you talked to someone about it?

Next Steps:
Make time in your schedule to sacrifice for a good cause.

Attend GrowthTrack to find out how your skills and personality are best fit to serve at CedarCreek.

Prayer:
God, I am so thankful for the sacrifice you gave to me so that I can be with you forever. Show me how I can sacrifice the time that you give me to do good for others and, hopefully, turn their hearts to you. In all the sacrifices I make, I have my full faith in you, Lord. You have not failed me yet, and I know you won’t. I will do my best to do the same and help others follow your son Jesus. In his name, amen.

Parent Resource:
Read Luke 2:6-7 together as a family. Use a nativity set or stuffed animals to act out the Christmas story as a family member reads it. 

This post was written by Casey Stengel. Casey is a follower of Christ, a dad, and an avid Chicago sports fan. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with family and friends. He works in recovery and loves to help people however he can. He is also working toward his Associate Degree in Biblical Studies.