Living
as Sacrifices
For to me, to live is Christ...
Philippians 1:21
“I can’t do this anymore!” Jack
all but hollered. “I don’t know what God wants from us? I
have no idea what step to take next that would bring resolution to
our problems!”
Jack’s frustration stemmed from the
ongoing trials he and his wife, Tanna, had been experiencing over the
past four years. The unrest in the home, brought on by persistent
physical and constant financial struggles, was at a fevered pitch.
They rarely went a day without arguing over things that would
normally be overlooked as insignificant. And the periods between
these arguments were filled with deafening silence.
When more than a minute passed without
her response he silently blamed her…It would be nice if you’d
engage!
Locked in his own reasoning-challenged
battle, Jack couldn’t know that Tanna’s mind was filled with her
own fear-driven thoughts. So, he began building his own argument
for his wife’s lack of response…Right, you think this is all
‘MY’ fault! Which wasn’t true, but by this time Satan had
planted seeds of guilt and shame over his inability to earn a living.
He uttered his last statement aloud, “I’m so tired right now I’d
rather be a dead martyr than a living sacrifice.”
†
Sound familiar? Many Christians share
Jack’s sentiment, which begs the question: Why does a loving God
allow His children to experience this kind of turmoil when He has the
power to do otherwise?
Many New Testament scriptures tell us
we will suffer, Jesus Himself said it. But, like Jack, we
desire an answer that will at least offer comfort in the midst of the
conflict.
Paul writes in verse
fourteen, “Because of my chains,
most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the
word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”
The list of
reasons of why God allows us to work through our trials is long. But
in many cases He knows someone else is watching for our reaction to
our circumstances. He
believes we have the strength to show the world what a living
sacrifice looks like. What we show them is how we choose to respond
to life’s trials.
Prayer
“Lord, sometimes I feel
it’d be easier dying for You than living through these trying
times. Give me Your strength to walk in integrity, as a living
sacrifice in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
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