Sacrifice 

During the height of the COVID-19 crisis, we were faced with restrictions on activities unlike anything we had ever experienced before. Areas were faced with uncompromising lockdowns and curfews that forced many to remain in their homes for weeks except for dire emergencies. 

Businesses were closed or reduced in customer access through shorter hours and occupant restrictions. Restaurants were reduced to solely outdoor access or take-out service. We sacrificed many freedoms that were taken for granted prior to the pandemic. Even churches struggled with the dilemma of obeying government mandates to not meet in large groups, or resist government interference with their right to free assembly. 

But our inconvenience is just a small price to pay compared to those who have given their lives to save others. I can live without dining out or Disneyland if my isolation will save lives. Such a simple thing. 

The Bible talks a lot about sacrifice, but often in a way that seems out of place in modern society. Grains and livestock were sacrificed on altars to garner God’s favor and continued blessings. Only the finest, most perfect items were chosen to demonstrate the sincerity of the one making the sacrifice. Such gifts of faith as this are seldom seen today. 

In modern times, our charitable gifts are usually made from our earnings; dollars deposited or transferred into our checking accounts and transferred out through check or electronic transactions. There is no “selection of the best” involved. It can even be an automated transaction, done without much personal action required outside of budgeting and monitoring the bottom line to ensure we can pay our other bills. 

The idea of Jesus Christ being offered as the scapegoat for our sins seems barbaric now. We like to think that humankind has advanced beyond such barbarism; that we would never consider human sacrifice seeking the favor of a deity. 

But in a very real sense, it still goes on: Only the name of the cause has changed. People are sent to die in the name of a nation or a group. Innocent lives are taken as initiation rites by criminals, or to secure territorial claims by drug pushers and pimps. Police put their lives on the line daily, often without thanks and lately with selfish disdain. 

Just as in ancient times, victims are often chosen by their attributes of strength or youth, but in our secured neighborhoods, most of us never experience it. As long as the world we live in seems secure, we don’t give it a second thought. The reality is, we have allowed the sacrifices that pay for our comfort to be done by others. We take it for granted, or for all the benefit we can squeeze out of it, but like the song says, “it’s no sacrifice, just a simple word.” Calloused to the harsh reality that buys our security, there is no sacrifice at all. 

And as for Christ’s sacrifice? It still happens today. Every time the Church is maligned for representing moral issues, the world casts a stone at Christ. Every time an innocent life is taken for the sake of comfort, another nail meets the cross. Every time someone is rejected because they view love differently, a crown of thorns is applied. Good people have their reputations stripped from them with political whips. The perfect love of Jesus is sacrificed with every racist act, lie, and indifferent cold shoulder. 

Even though the biblical account seems far removed from our current reality, we need to recognize the sacrifice made remains as real as it ever was. We wish the need for it were not so, but it is the way of this world. 

Let us strive to repay the sacrifice with our gratitude and respond by loving others. Easy to say, I know, and not always easy to do. We are the recipients of the gift. The sacrifices that have been made for our benefit need to be answered. Recognize the sacrifice and accept the gift with grace. 

 "After these days, says the Lord, I will place my laws in their hearts and write them on their minds.  And I won’t remember their sins and their lawless behavior anymore." — Hebrews 1:16-17

Press Your Own "Like" Button

"As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.

Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son. This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God."
—John 3:14-21

This is a world that lives by the "Like" button. We look for approval. We want to be popular; some even seek fame. At one time or another, most of us find ourselves in situations where approval by someone matters: That proposal you are making to a company for a big sale, or that job interview. If we are not careful, we find our own opinion of ourselves becomes measured by our acceptance of others.

But God has a message for all of us: He loves us, unconditionally. That's not to say he approves of everything we do. But regardless of our activity, the scriptures repeatedly tell us that he holds us very dear.

Yes, there are many in the world who deny him. They reject his love because it interferes with their own pursuits. But know this: whether or not you believe in him, He believes in you. The most direct message communicating this is John 3:16, shown above. But as you dig deeper into the Bible, time and time again he offers compassionate love and opportunity for us to come to him.

For man, this is not a easy thing to understand. When someone denies us or rejects us, we usually turn away from them. Families become torn apart, friendships fade, business relationships end, and are seldom renewed. "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me."

But I am here to tell you that in spite of any rejection you have felt, or for that matter, have dished out, God understands. And hear me on this: He loves you anyway.

There is much inside of you that is good. Now, you can choose to let those rejections tear down your mood and opinion of yourself. My own mother had tremendous self-esteem troubles, and often told me she just would rather stay at home in bed under the covers, that come out and face a judgmental world.

God wants you to see in yourself the vast and intense beauty of the person he created you to be. There is much to be done in the world, and if you let yourself rise above the judgment of others, then you can begin to see a better you. If you seek out that person, you can make the changes that will completely change your attitude.

Personally, I can tell you from experience that I have seen this change in me. I have done some very unforgivable things in my life. I have hurt others, sometimes unintentionally, but no excuses: I blew it. But what is to be gained if I wallow in it? Shall I commit to living the rest of my life imposing punishment for it? Why? I cannot change the past. But I can learn from it, and try to live a wiser future.

Make that change. Give yourself permission to find joy. Pursue your passions, and help others do the same. Press your own "Like" button. There is much there to appreciate.

The Free Things In Life Are Best

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

I have good news: There are still some great things that as yet are not illegal!

I know. It's been a rough decade. It seems that everywhere we turn someone is doing something that flies in the face of some tradition we hold dear. Respect for many of the things we have long held as American rights are slowly being eroded away. Our freedom becomes reduced because there is an increasing number of people who think that "fairness" is something that can be regulated by law.

What they fail to see is that countless of other nations before us have had the same idea, and the results have failed because there will always be those who will take more, in the name of "fairness."

I was in a country in turmoil a few years ago, and I noticed that there were some very large stores, but no one was inside buying anything. I asked my friend why this was, and she told me that the stores were owned by the criminals in the government. Only they were allowed to sell because of favors done for their political comrades. As a result, they would charge outrageous prices for things, knowing that there was no competition allowed. So people only bought from them as a last resort. Legislated fairness only benefited a few. The rest of the country lay in squalor.

Fortunately, it is not to late for us. There are still values we can celebrate today. We can still love each other, find joy, practice forbearance and kindness. We can strive for goodness, and be faithful to those to whom we have made promises. We can be gentle in our actions, and above all, we still can practice self-control. I think the world would be hard-pressed to make laws requiring the practice of any of these things, and these are the best part of being alive... especially as Christians.