Self Sacrifice

Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
Matthew 16:24‭-‬26 MSG


Self-sacrifice is the way! There can be a tendency to sacrifice too much and this comes from a poor self image and a desire to be liked. There can also be an immature understanding of sacrifice but generally our main problem is being sacrificial at all.

So...what does God's self-sacrifice look like? God assessed the problem: man's separation from Him through sin. What was needed? A perfect sacrifice. So..He sent Jesus. As we study the gospels we see Jesus in action. He didn't always give Himself away. He spent a lot of time with the Father, He spent times with the disciples and His friends and the rest He gave to the lost seeking healing and restoration. The lost did not all become followers or disciples. They came to Him to be healed. Their motive was selfish, but He healed them anyway.

In Jesus we see balance and peace. He was not harassed by anyone, although many tried. Because Jesus spent quality time with the Father, He was full of the Holy Spirit. He maintained a steady supply through a balanced life. We can learn from this. Amen!