Giving something up can be hard, but what if sacrificing our lives to God led to our ultimate peace?
“Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.
I love this quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. He’s been on a lot of people’s minds this last week or so as we celebrate his life and accomplishments, as well as his sacrifices.
The Bible is full of individuals who asked God how they could fulfill His plan with their lives. We see Saul, who gives up his persecution of Christians and becomes Paul, one of the most devoted, prolific, and active members of the early church.
We can see unwed, teenaged Mary. She accepts the news that she is pregnant with the Messiah with grace and trust in God’s plan.
We see Joseph. He was sold by his brothers into slavery, going from jail to second-in-command in Egypt. He listened to God and interpreted dreams that saved thousands upon thousands during the seven-year drought.
Where do we see people in our times sacrificing their lives to God?
Examples of modern day sacrifice to God are a little harder to find. But they’re there.
Mother Teresa sacrificed her life to God, helping the poor and sick in Calcutta until her death.
Sacrifice is a hard word. It brings to mind pain and deprivation, all sorts of uncomfortable things. But it’s done for a higher purpose.
The interesting thing about these examples of sacrifice is that while there was pain and deprivation involved, sometimes even death, those sacrificing never felt like it was a hardship.
Through the trials of living God’s purpose, the fact that they were living and doing exactly what God wanted them to, gave a sense of peace and joy that we can never replicate by chasing our own plans and wants.
How can we sacrifice to God’s purpose today?
Maybe we won’t live a life that sits as grandly in history as Martin Luther King, Jr. And maybe we won’t devote our lives to God like Mother Teresa or the apostle Paul.
But perhaps we can sacrifice our lives to the purpose God gave us on a smaller scale:
When we hold and kiss our sick child, knowing that child is one of God’s.
While volunteering at our church, giving our free time to our community and His people.
When we encourage those at work, giving them some of God’s light instead of focusing on our own moods and problems.
When we sacrifice our pride and give our spouse grace for a wrong, knowing that grace comes from God Himself.
We have the chance to sacrifice our lives to God in big and small ways every day. Pray that God uses you for His purpose, that He uses your unique and wonderful talents to live out the plans He has for you.
Sacrifice to God feels less like hardship and more like peace because you are doing the exact thing you were made for.
Would you like to read more about following God’s purpose for you? Check out these posts:
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