Sacrifical Commitment

What words would you use to describe your relationship with Jesus? What words would people use to describe you? Paul lived a life of sacrificial commitment. Can the same be said about you?

Sometimes we like to separate ourselves from Paul so that we don’t feel the obligation of listening to what he has to say or following his lifestyle. We call Paul “extreme” and distance ourselves from the sacrificial commitment that marked his life. We crave comfort and Paul’s life threatens that comfort. We may be able to find a way of side-stepping Paul’s commands, but we can’t ignore Jesus.

Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment we deserved, but we are called to follow Jesus even to the cross. There we will find forgiveness of sins, but we will also see the way Christ calls us to live. The way to victory is through death. The way of Christ is sacrificial commitment to God’s will. It means willingly laying aside everything that gets in the way of accomplishing God’s will. It means dying to ourselves—our pride, our sin, our selfishness—and living our new lives in Christ. 

The cross completely changed the way Paul lived. In Philippians 3 he writes, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7-8, NIV).

Sacrifice is painful, uncomfortable, and inconvenient. But if we have the same mindset as Paul, that everything else in our lives is worthless compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, then we can live the life of sacrificial commitment that God calls us to. 

Reflection/Discussion Question: What is/would be most difficult for you to sacrifice for the sake of Christ?