It's been a little over a week since I wrote about sacrifice, and I have a confession to make: I am not perfect. I used the word "strive" because I knew this would be a difficult task to accomplish. Sacrifice is not meant to be easy. It has been difficult for me to remember the goals I set for myself, and it has been even more difficult to accomplish them. That is precisely why I have only accomplished three of my goals. However, God is gracious and has shown me that sacrifice may be difficult, but it does not have to be painful.
In my post about sacrifice, I mentioned that I should create a list of things that I would like to do to glorify God. My intention was to draw my focus away from myself and back onto God. After giving it some thought, I created a list of ten things that I believe either show God's love to someone else or demonstrate my love for God Himself. Some of the items on my list are quite vague, such as giving someone encouragement. Other tasks are very specific. For example, I want to pray for the students in my youth group more often. I included some tasks that could be crossed off the list and others that will remain even after being completed. The way I see it, there is no limit to how many times I can pray for someone or how many people I can encourage. If you're reading this and have never made your own sacrifice list, I encourage you to stop reading this and do so now.
If you have already made your list, read on!
While writing down all of the things that I wanted to do for The Lord, I didn't realize what I was getting myself into. I knew sacrifice would not be easy, but I wasn't prepared for the ways it would bless me. Accomplishing some of the goals on my Sacrifice list has certainly helped to redirect my focus. Every time that I accomplish something, I am filled with joy. It gives me a desire to pursue God in more ways and to share His love with those around me.
The sacrifices that I have made are not necessarily huge. I have taken a few minutes to send a message or half an hour to pray for a friend. However, I never thought that sacrificing just a little of my time would make this kind of difference. It has shifted my focus, and I pray that it does the same for you. Join me in sacrificing a little of your time every day for a week and leave a comment about how it has affected your walk with God. In this way, we can be a source of light to those around us.
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