SACRIFICE

MareBearHitstheRoad Blogger - April 28, 2010 Day 20...I added a link to the I Expect GOD to Act! page because Rev Mark Brown has just an incredible way of reminding us about what it means to walk in Faith.  But when we walk in Faith we are carrying with us so much  more. We bring with it Hope, Love, Compassion, Empathy, Understanding, Humility, Grace, Mercy...the list just goes on and on. But when push comes to shove, what are we willing to really give up to walk Boldly in our Faith - whatever Faith that may be. I appeal to every faith, religion or religious beliefs here because they all call for SACRIFICE in some form or another. My most keen reference of course is in Christianity, and the greatest sacrifice ever made and that is the one where Jesus gave His life for ours, on the Cross. 


In Catholicism sacrifice is no meat on Friday's and a 100 other rules that Catholics should live by. In Judaism Saturday is a day of sacrifice from sun up to sun down and again, 100 plus other rules to live by. In Islam, prayer is mandatory to the beliefs of Islam at least 5 times a day, and on the extremist side the Jihad is the ultimate sacrifice. But you get the idea. Each Faith or Organized Religion has a set of "rules" that we must follow or more correctly, things we must sacrifice in order to demonstrate our faith to GOD.

Whether Jew or Gentile, Muslim or Hindu, sacrifice means different things to different people. As I read the post by Rev Mark - 'I want to Recklessly follow Jesus Christ. I Don't want look before I leap, not hesitate when I step out, not be afraid. I HAVE FAITH!'by Jake Witherell I was struck not just by the poignancy of this quote but it also touched my heart regarding the sacrifice that is asked of us daily by our King.  Throughout the Bible we are told to be obedient to God's commandments and when you study them carefully, they are a set of rules really but I like to think that they are right choices for right living. BIG DIFFERENCE here. Rules and Right Choices are one in the same yet they are different. 

Right choices require us to think outside of ourselves, outside the box, outside our own understanding and see what is not always obvious.  The consequence. Rules are typically thought of as directives that we MUST follow, where as right choices are ideals that are in the best interest of each individual and consequences are often quite clear.  When I read the commandments I do not see a set of rules but rather a guideline or guidebook as to what living righteously means. How do we get there? In other faiths and religion rites and rituals are important if you are to gain entrance into heaven. In cults false Gods are worshipped and threats, fear and intimidation are used to force the follower to be in line with what that group believes. 


The Muslims believe that if you spend your life doing good works, and it is quantitative, when you stand before Mohammed in death - even though you led this righteous life - you WILL not know if you did enough! WOW, maybe even a double wow. In Catholicism is a lot about works again, being a "good" person, helping others, being charitable etc..but if you go into most Catholic churches you still see Christ on the Cross...but that is biblically incorrect and not in line with Scripture. I don't want to get into a pissing match over which religion or faith believes what - but one of the running themes in all faiths is that we are to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of whomever or whatever we believe.


Sacrifice according to webster's means:
 1 : an act of offering to a deity something precious; especially : the killing of a victim on an altar
2 : something offered in sacrifice3 a : destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b : something given up or lost

In Christianity, faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the Cross for us is common knowledge. It is not obscured by anything. Christ came as the Son of God and Man and Sacrificed His life for ours, in honor of the God we serve. So now I would like to get things back into focus.

Are we willing, able, and can we comprehend what right living and sacrifice mean and how intricately they are entwined?  I believe that when we come to know Jesus, in our hearts through the leading of the holy spirit we come to understand the meaning of those two principals. But the question is ARE WE WILLING? As the quote above states: are we willing to recklessly follow our Faith in ALL situations, sacrificing much for that which we cannot see? Are we willing to walk outside our comfort zone and give complete trust to something/someone we cannot see? Are we willing to courageously Sacrifice the comforts of this life for the comforts we can expect and are promised in the next?

Finally, as I say farewell's and cya's to my deeply loved and cherished Oregonian Family and Sacrifice the comfort and security of their love and friendship, support and encouragement, for new adventures and service to our King, I am willing to sacrifice it all to walk Blindly into the unknown because of that very same FAITH.  I think that what Jake Witherell is trying to convey is that we need to commit to making every sacrifice, no matter the price, to serve but one master. We need to always be cognizant at all times that what we do and say WILL have an impact and leave an impression on those lives we become a part of or run in to. That we need to be care free as children in our walk in this world, and to me that means I must Sacrifice myself in all things, in order to serve righteously in His world. 

The story of Abraham and Isaace is one of my favorites because it not only addresses the issue of sacrifice everything we have for our King but it also teaches us to walk without fear, with trust, with a willing heart to sacrifice that which is not really even ours in the first place....the altar was simply a symbol and Isaac was the example....are you slaying the Isaac's in your life for a fuller, richer life with the KING?

Blessings and great love and joy for you today,

marebear