s a c r i f i c e

Imagine this: You’re finally home from work! You walk straight to the fridge to take out the food you’ve been dreaming about. You saw it in your day dream. It was all you could think about during your meetings. You even smelled it on your walk out of the office. Now it’s your time. You see the food you have and you think, Wow I even have enough for another meal after this. So you heat up just enough for tonight’s dinner. As you sit down and get ready to eat, the doorbell rings. You see it’s one of your close friends who came to check up on you on their way home from work. After you greet them and everything, they say “Oh my gosh, it smells so good in here! It’s making me so hungry!” Because you were raised in a generous and loving home, out of habit, you say, “I just heated up some dinner and there’s still something left, would you like some?” You definitely say this hoping they’ll say no, but instead, you hear a happy “Yes!”

*sigh*

sacrifice.

Listennn, if I could describe this summer’s theme, it would be sacrifice. Since Day 1 of my Summer 2019, I’ve had to make sacrifices in various areas of my life. Some that I quite enjoyed, and some that I didn’t really want to make, but *shrug* we move. It’s not something that hit me up until this last week when I kept receiving the word, “sacrifice” in my spirit. I kept seeing and hearing it everywhere. And as I reflected on the things that have happened since the end of May, it’s really been a constant theme. My work, family, friends, quality time, sleep, ministry, etc. all required some sort of sacrifice here and there. And to be quite honest with you, I know this is not the end of it. But being able to recognize that sacrifices can be made in the “little things” gives me assurance that I am getting to the point where I will be able to do so in the bigger things with little to no problem.

Sacrifice is mad biblical. And I’m not even talking about in terms of offerings, I’m simply talking about giving up something for something or Someone *wink* greater. And it’s hard for me to bring sacrifice and faith up without thinking of Father Abraham. Yes, the one that had many sons.

When he was still Abram, he gave up the land he was in, the relatives he was close to, and everything he knew in obedience, for the blessing God spoke over him. He gave up his name and after some time, he even got the son he’d been waiting for. And on top of all of that he almost sacrificed him per God’s instruction. He spent his life showing God that he could be faithful in not just the “little” things but also the big things too. I believe he also learned that even when it may not look like it, God will always provide.

In time of reflection, I also came across Mark 10:28. In this verse, Peter says to Jesus, “We’ve given up everything to follow you.” And as many times as I’ve read it, this time it really made me stop and think. Everything. How many times are we unwilling to give up certain things for God? Just before then, there was a rich man who followed every law but was not willing to sacrifice his earthly treasures to follow Jesus (If you start in verse 10, you’ll see the story). Imagine that.

You know what I realized? When I hold onto what I need to sacrifice I’m telling God that I do not trust him. I’m telling Him that I don’t believe He can top whatever I have right now. I’m putting His power and ability in a box and making Him small. I’m not allowing God to do what He does because I am letting my faith hit a ceiling. I realized that sacrifice and faith work hand in hand. Why was Abraham able to move as he did and wait for Isaac for so long? Because he had faith. Why was the rich man unable to follow Jesus? Because he lacked faith. And I realized that if I want to have *crazy faith* (watch this), I cannot be hungry for more of something and then close my mouth when it’s presented to me. It just won’t work. But what if I trusted Him? What if I kept reading to see that Jesus said that a reward that will come from my sacrifice? What happens when I allow my faith to surpass my circumstance and give unto God what he has given to me in exchange for something even greater?

What I recently have seen is God being God in my life, simply because I said yes. Because I decided to trust and obey and see where my sacrifice and my faith would take me. Because I took Him at his Word and remembered that even if I don’t see the fruit of this sacrifice soon, He is still good.

So now, I ask you: What are you holding onto? Why?

I encourage you to let go. Because God has not, does not, and never will fail his own. Sacrifice is not easy, but it is so worth it. Jesus sacrificed His whole life for you, because He believed you were worth it. So give up that thing, or those people, or that habit or whatever it is because what God has in store for you is so much greater, beyond what you can even see or think yourself.

I pray that you take it in and believe this truth with all your heart.

Much love always,

Kumam 🧡