Steadfast In Sacrifice (Part 4): The Beginning Of Better
“now we”
Some of the most important realizations can come from the most unsuspecting places in life. For instance, I found my 5-year old girl in our master-bathroom the other day, staring at an old, goofy picture of her mom and I.
She made a comment to me about the faces we were making, and I said, “yep, your mom and I have had a lot of fun together”. Without hesitation, she replied, “yeah, and now we (meaning our family of 7) have a lot of fun together”.
All kidding aside, I agree with her. So much so, that the “now we” part of her comment has kind of echoed in my mind ever since. With those two words, I was reminded of how radically different life becomes when you’re no longer living for just yourself. More than anything, it was a reminder of the now we life that God has invited each of us to take part in.
Ephesians 3:20 (NIV) tells us that God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power within us.” And because His desire is for you to experience that personally, He’s“invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 | NLT).
Think about the ramifications of this invitation. We no longer have to wonder if what we do matters. Now we know that anything of significant value, anything we could ever hope to accomplish, is more than possible. Now we can take hold of something different, something more than ourselves.
something better.
back to better
Ever driven in an unfamiliar place before? It’s so easy to go down a road that appears to be taking you the right way, only to find yourself at a dead end. When we attempt to do life on our own, that’s exactly what we’re up against. Romans 8:5-8 (MSG) says it this way:
“Obsession with self…is a dead end. Attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious life, a free life.”
Why is spaciousness important? Because space invites the opportunity to make room for something better, it ultimately creates room for—
more of God’s presence.
More of Him means less of you. And in this case, less is more. When we deny ourselves & learn to live more sacrificially, we open the door for God to do greater things in & through us. One of the best ways to ensure that happens, is to ask the right questions. As you think through these next 3 questions, the goal isn’t to criticize your shortcomings. It’s to inspire you to experience more of what God’s capable of doing in your life.
#1: What is God’s place in your life?
It’s so important to recognize where you fuel up each day, to acknowledge the source of your strength. Too often, God is relegated to reserve status in our lives. Like an insurance policy, we live as if He exists “in case we end up needing Him”. But Psalm 118:14 (NLT) sets the record straight:
“The LORD is my strength and my song; He has given me victory.”
Embracing God as the very source of your strength, changes your daily rhythms for the better. God doesn’t remain as insurance, He becomes the reservoir of daily assurance needed to sustain your every move. God has given you victory, it’s your job to—
Win the day.
#2: what Do you have to lose?
God has consistency demonstrated His ability to use people of all shapes & sizes. He’s worked through people with immeasurable strength (Samson). And He’s shown up in people with seemingly nothing to offer (the widow with a small jar of oil). With God, you’re never defined by how much you have to give, but by—
your willingness to give what you have.
“People judge by what’s on the outside, but God looks at what’s inside a person’s heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
We all have something to give, but God’s not looking for something, He’s looking for someone. He’s looking for you. Don’t underestimate His ability because you’re undervaluing your offering. The best of intentions never changed the world, but the simplest acts always leave things better than before. We can do great things—
because we serve a great god.
#3: How do you see yourself?
“I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John.” Luke 7:28 (NIV)
That’s what Jesus had to say about His friend, John the Baptist. John was known for boldly proclaiming the coming of Christ, baptizing Jesus, and losing his life (beheaded) because of his service to the Lord. And yet in “all his greatness”, John left us with this:
“He must become greater [Jesus], I must become less [John].” John 3:30 (NIV)
John really got it. The promotion of this world is to become greater & greater, but John reminded us of where greatness really resides.
Greatness resides in god alone.
Let me put it this way…
Anything good about my marriage today is not a result of what my wife and I have held onto—but what we’ve let go of. Living selflessly & less committed “to our individual ends”, has given us a more meaningful marriage than we could have ever had otherwise. Our personal sacrifices don’t diminish us as individuals, they draw us out in new & better ways. Just as God—
beckons you towards what’s better.
THE OTHER SIDE
Why would God, who lacks absolutely nothing, ask for something from us? Better yet, why would He ask us to give our lives to Him? Jesus answers with the following in John 10:10:
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus spells it out clearly, He came so that we could have. God’s asking because He’s interested in giving. Giving us something that we couldn’t receive any other way. It only makes sense to give our lives when we know that there’s something better on the other side of the equation.
That’s why it’s critical to understand that Jesus didn’t give His life because of all that’s good about us, but rather all that’s not. God’s asking for us to hand every bit of that over as well. He wants you in your entirety. He invites you to come as you are. And when you accept that, He promises to give His life to you in exchange. That’s when life becomes something new, something better. And the best news is—
it’s only the beginning.
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today’s Takeaways
He’s invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 1:9)
God has given you victory, it’s your job to Win the day.
“He must become greater [Jesus], I must become less [John].” (John 3:30 (NIV))