Sacrifice or Service
By Melissa Schrock
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)
At 3 AM I heard a knock on my bedroom door. My feet shuffled toward the sound. In the dark hallway, I found my son. He was distraught from his stuffy nose and found it difficult to rest. I refilled his diffuser and gave him a drink of water. As I was exiting his room, he called out, “Thank you, Mom.”
Suddenly the 3 AM wake up call wasn't about my sacrifice but the gift of serving. Giving of oneself to strengthen another–wasn't that the focus of Jesus' ministry on earth?
Jesus didn't proclaim what He gave up or suffered to heal the sick, to walk the miles and miles to teach hungry souls and perform miraculous wonders. Jesus served. He gave because He had been given purpose from the Father. He loved because He was loved. And He followed His Father's lead in it all.
It wasn't about sacrifice that led Jesus to the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:17-44). Jesus loved His friends. He walked those miles to their home. His call for Lazarus to arise was motivated by love and compassion. His heart of service and compassion was an opportunity for His Father’s name to be magnified.
How humbling. It is easy to get caught up in a self-sacrificing mindset, to think I am giving up my sleep, my time, my money. But am I really? In my roles as parent and a wife, I have a tremendous opportunity to pour out encouragement, love, and support. I get to serve because ultimately I was served the greatest and best gift of all by Jesus, God’s son. Through Jesus as a gift, I have received forgiveness, unconditional love, and eternal hope.
Jesus served humbly on the Earth and then sacrificed his life for me and you. My opportunities to serve aren't sacrifices. They are opportunities to give and love following the example of my Savior.
Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 (ESV)
Faith Step: Practice a mindset of service rather than sacrifice. Take some time to write out the areas of your life where you are sacrificing. Ask God to help you see them as opportunities to serve and show compassion from the source of the love He pours on you.
At 3 AM I heard a knock on my bedroom door. My feet shuffled toward the sound. In the dark hallway, I found my son. He was distraught from his stuffy nose and found it difficult to rest. I refilled his diffuser and gave him a drink of water. As I was exiting his room, he called out, “Thank you, Mom.”
Suddenly the 3 AM wake up call wasn't about my sacrifice but the gift of serving. Giving of oneself to strengthen another–wasn't that the focus of Jesus' ministry on earth?
Jesus didn't proclaim what He gave up or suffered to heal the sick, to walk the miles and miles to teach hungry souls and perform miraculous wonders. Jesus served. He gave because He had been given purpose from the Father. He loved because He was loved. And He followed His Father's lead in it all.
It wasn't about sacrifice that led Jesus to the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:17-44). Jesus loved His friends. He walked those miles to their home. His call for Lazarus to arise was motivated by love and compassion. His heart of service and compassion was an opportunity for His Father’s name to be magnified.
How humbling. It is easy to get caught up in a self-sacrificing mindset, to think I am giving up my sleep, my time, my money. But am I really? In my roles as parent and a wife, I have a tremendous opportunity to pour out encouragement, love, and support. I get to serve because ultimately I was served the greatest and best gift of all by Jesus, God’s son. Through Jesus as a gift, I have received forgiveness, unconditional love, and eternal hope.
Jesus served humbly on the Earth and then sacrificed his life for me and you. My opportunities to serve aren't sacrifices. They are opportunities to give and love following the example of my Savior.
Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 (ESV)
Faith Step: Practice a mindset of service rather than sacrifice. Take some time to write out the areas of your life where you are sacrificing. Ask God to help you see them as opportunities to serve and show compassion from the source of the love He pours on you.
Melissa Schrock
Melissa Schrock is a wife, mom of 4, and the author of the book Released: From Dark Pit to Life with Abundant Hope. Melissa enjoys using everyday life situations in her writing to remind us of God's truths.
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