I believe that true sacrifice has to cost.
David said he could not give to God what doesn't cost him. Many times we pride ourselves on how much we have sacrificed to help others, to get something done when in the real sense we have just done our duty. We give extra clothes, food, loose change that we feel we no longer need/use. We look for free time to do something we consider valuable and claim we have sacrificed time. If it doesn't cost you or hurt you then it’s not worth it. True love is a sacrifice of self, time, emotions, resources etc. When we sacrifice, we don’t expect anything in return. It’s not an investment, we just put it all in, no commensurate benefit from the recipient. But should we expect a return, then it’s not a sacrifice, it’s a transaction. No pain, no gain. If you give to someone because they will one day also give to you, what credit is that? Anyone can do that. We say scratch my back I scratch yours. But true sacrifice is what is loosely translated from Swahili, "do good and go your way."
Most of us are good at doing things for others, going out of our way. This is great and it should continue. But if it's done out of what is extra, then it's not a sacrifice. We are unworthy servants who have just done our duty; given away what we don't need. But if it comes from an intentional decision to sacrifice for the sake of others, then that's when it counts. It's an offering to God and others. It's not an allocation of excess resources. This is an act of worship to God.
This should not be unwisely taken from the point of not caring for ourselves. As they say, you can’t give what you don’t have. It has to be driven by a belief that if I only need one shirt, why should I buy two when my neighbor has no trouser or shirt.
A more significant sacrifice is to help the person in need not to come back to you for help. How do you let them realize they don’t need you anymore for them to grow or make ends meet? Most of us are always very quick to establish a dependency syndrome. A culture that makes people keep running to us since we feel that’s the only way to stay relevant to them and to ourselves. Most groups that try to help and do good are there to stay as they want people to keep coming to them for help.
I recently learned a revolutionary idea about liberating people. This speaks to support and challenge. It's about creating a culture of empowerment and opportunity. This is liberation. I believe this is the most significant sacrifice. This is not easy and it’s costly in terms of resources, time, and emotionally. How do I make myself irrelevant in your life? In the lives of the people who I interact with. Now, this could be a scary thought to those of us who our ultimate goal for helping is for us, not for them. We are doing all we do so we feel nice about ourselves but not really to help the person move on fully empowered and able to take advantage of every opportunity they come across. A number of agencies and organizations that go out there to eradicate poverty or help people are really not interested in the realization of their goals, but on staying on the job. But also, there are good ones whose work of equipping, supporting, challenging, and empowering people is a continuous process of inlet and outlet.
Jesus came so we may have life and have it in abundance. That we will be liberated. For those of us who strive to be His followers, how are we liberating the people He brings our way. How are we making them experience life in abundance? Are we holding off something so we don't become irrelevant? Are we causing healing, casting out fears, and raising them up? Are we being Jesus to these people? You are the only Jesus that they will probably experience. As your friendship continues, it should not be on the grounds of dependence but liberated friends, partners and coworkers.
When we say “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, what are we really asking for?
May these thoughts become part of your plans to help those who you commit to.
If this resonates with you, take time to evaluate how you liberate those God bring your way. Look for a small community of friends who you can do this together with… Being accountable to a few and practicing with a few. It’s about building a community of friends to share each other’s liberation stories. You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create a support, encouragement and accountability platform for each other. The community has to be a small as possible so that there is active engagement by all involved.
Find a community around you and see if these conversations make sense to you…
By Gabriel Odhiambo Achayo
Great message! Thank you Gabriel
ReplyDeleteThanks Gabriel
ReplyDeleteGreat work
ReplyDeleteThank you Gabriel.. Great
ReplyDeleteProfound..something to think about
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