Sacrifice

A dictionary definition of sacrifice is to give up a possession or something valued, usually for the good of another or one’s own self. When Christians contemplate sacrifice, we no doubt think of Jesus Who, gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2 ESV). His is the greatest sacrifice of all because He gave His very life in order to save our lives for eternity. He saved us from the cruel and deadly grip of sin. When we ponder the wonder of what Jesus did, dying for us, accepting the charge of our sin upon Himself, paying the penalty for our sin, but then — gloriously conquering the clutch of death by rising, alive, again — can we also not offer a sacrifice? What kind of sacrifice may we offer?

Hebrews 13:5 says it best, Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name (NKJV). Is praising a sacrifice? We may say how we love to sing praises, so how is that a sacrifice? Praising becomes a sacrifice when we choose to give it to God when we don’t feel like it, when we are upset about situations in our lives, when we have been wronged by someone, when we are squeezing out the last penny to pay a bill, when we are suffering physically in spite of much prayer to be released from our ailment. Remember, to sacrifice is to give up something valued for the good of another or one’s own self.

When we are suffering physically, emotionally, or spiritually, we value our own opions and our feelings. After all, we are suffering great disappointment. Therefore, to sacrifice those — justifiable feelings, we tell ourselves — to choose to praise anyway, takes great determination. Even so, when we, in spite of our feelings of despondency, begin to offer praise to God, something happens within us, something rather splendid. We discover that the very praising begins to change the downcast heart, to erase the wretched state of our doleful minds. Someting lifts! What? Is that joy setting in? Yes! Praise allows us to conquer the clutch of depair, rising above it, alive again to God’s own strength and peace and joy!

Just as Jesus sacrificed, conquered death, and rose again; so we, too, rise again through glorious praise, conquering all thoughts that would keep us captive to gloom and doom. Oh, what a never-failing weapon we have been given. Let us use it daily! Let us choose to sacrifice what we consider our justifiable dispirited feelings. Discouragement cannot exist when we continually praise. Therefore, everyday let us proclaim, I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will continually be in my mouth ( Psalm 34:1 NKJV).