Skip to main content

You Get What You Sacrificed For

A good marriage takes sacrifice.

This is a key principle that I have recently put into words after 20+ years of marriage.

I was recently talking with Tyler, my former roommate from college, romanticizing about the spiritual experiences of the past and wishing for more activity of God in my life today. We talked on this line for about an hour, but something he said to me has stuck with me ever since. "You got what you died for."

Tyler shared with me about a church service he attended where Rev. Helm was speaking and the people had a visitation from God in a very remarkable way. If you know anything about moments of spiritual stirrings, or of being thrilled by the Spirit, or of having your own personal revival in a service, then you will understand what I am about to say. A moment like this broke out in that service and when it came and left, Tyler said that Rev. Helm made the statement, "You got what you died for."

I know I could bemoan and bewail the glory days of spiritual blessings of my past and continue to wonder if those days were the best days and keep nostalgically hoping that better days are ahead. And to be honest, that is where I am--well, I fluctuate between hope and despair because as I get older I just don't see it happening. I think that is called cynicism, and I know it is a robber in disguise.

After Tyler's brilliant words to me, I added to them some words I read in my Bible app about God's work in our world. In the OT, the author pointed out that God's activity in our lives came through sacrifice. As people would go to the Temple and make sacrifices, this is where they would meet God. What I took away from that devotional thought that day was how much it made sense: If it is true that God enters into my life in areas where I sacrifice, it made more sense of what Jesus said about denying self, dying to self, and giving up my life for His sake rather than trying to keep my life for me. Then the key came to me, "I get what I sacrifice for."

A good Christianity takes sacrifice. This is probably a bad way to say it, but there it is, down on (virtual) paper.

I have been applying this to my marriage, and it works. Marriage takes sacrifice. As I give up myself, die to what makes me single and open up to what being a couple has for me, I find life, peace, joy, and oneness. Sure, I don't always get what I want in the moment, or I'm "not allowed" to spend money for something I want, or I don't get to spend time with whatever agenda I had for myself. But that is what it seems like in the moment. I am finding that as I die to those things, I am rewarded with what I really want--oneness with my wife. Sure, I have betrayed that oneness many times, but the truth of the principle still remains: I get what I sacrifice for.

So, in my adventure to reclaim the glory days that are yet to come (sorry Bruce, they won't pass me by), I seek to apply the same principle to my relationship with Jesus. I have much to work through here because in all honesty, I have been bitter for a long time about this, mad inside and disappointed with God that things are not different for me somehow. Just yesterday, he spoke to me a heavy truth I did not like to hear, "If you never experience anything great again, is not knowing me enough?" It was more than I could bear to hear these words, because the answer should be yes. Should be...

External sacrifices always take an internal sacrifice first. And this is a pretty big one for me.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

I Wish We'd All Been ... Left Behind

  Perhaps you have heard the group DC Talk sing the remake of Larry Norman’s’ song, “I Wish We’d All Been Ready”? There is something tragically deceptive about the lyrics though. As we sing along, we find ourselves participating in a couple instances where we wish we had been ready to be taken instead of left behind. But that is not how Jesus tells his side of the story. The words are inspired by Matthew 24:40-41. But let’s look more closely, shall we? MATTHEW 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away . That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. ...
Read more

A Joshua-Veneered Judges

Without challenge there will be no growth. Without expectation there will be no challenge. Why is it that we think if we expect "too much" out of people they will turn away? Didn't Jesus issue commands and ultimatums? Why should His Church not remind His people of these things? I was challenged by a statement from someone in Sunday School that people "like" the way things are going. This "liking-ness" caused me to ponder the "state of the union" and internalize a "declaration of dependence" for the name of Christ. I repeat, Without challenge there will be no growth. Without expectation there will be no challenge. I do not want to bow down to "likingness" as the test for spiritual growth. What I see in fruitfulness is sporadic unquestionable commitment .An abandonment to the statements of Christ across the board. This is reflected in the hard work of hospitality we lack in our home-model of being the body of Christ. W...
Read more

Start With The Second Coming In Mind

If you could only answer questions, “Yes,” or “No,” and couldn’t ever use the word “maybe” again, would it make that much of a difference to your life? Take a moment and read James 5:1-12--it is especially very interesting to read in The Message translation. So often we are told to begin with the END in mind. The END is whatever or where ever the certain project we are working on is heading until we say it is DONE. We do need to begin with the END in mind, but James has a different END in mind. There are several things the people have done wrong in James’ mind: laid up treasures in the last days,  kept back wages by fraud,  lived in luxury and self-indulgence,  fattened their hearts,  condemned and murdered people. When James tells the rich to “weep and howl” what is he getting at? What good does it do? What does “the cry of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of the Hosts” mean? What does it mean for "the wages of those abused by fraud...
Read more

Family Time Videos