Thoughts on Sacrifice

It's a snow day today, my girls are home.  This could be the shortest post ever.  I am choosing to be optimistic.

A couple days ago I was pondering the difference between laying down your life for another and sacrificing who you are.  I think both Christians, and those who are not, can be equally at risk of losing sight of the glorious creation that is uniquely them.

Some Christians, meaning well, and thinking they are pleasing God (or in their desire to meet some expectation), have lost themselves in serving to the point of burn-out and deeply buried un-fulfillment (which can lead to confusion, disappointment, depression and disillusionment, or pride, judging others, bitterness, etc.).  I have also observed a similar phenomena among "non- Christians", where their plumb line might be "the Joneses" - or what they represent (happiness, success etc), a veneered unreality masking as reality (whether rich and materialistic or grass-roots earthy).

I think the problem stems from not knowing who we are or who God is.  Sometimes we'll only learn through the process of elimination.  We need hard evidence that our way doesn't actually work, before we ask God's opinion.  Many of us are so bound by fear, because we have a faulty image of God, that our circumstances need to get very painful before we turn to the One who has all the answers.

I lay down my life for my family every day, by blundering my way through the necessary domestic duties.  I lay down my life by asking God's opinion and direction for it and then following that.  I lay down my life by admitting when I am wrong and apologizing.  I lay down my life by listening to nudges from Holy Spirit and following them, God helping me.  I lay down my life by respecting my husband.  I lay down my life by being the parent God wants me to be, God helping me.

I don't sacrifice who I am, by not responding to every need and want of others.  I don't sacrifice who I am, by not being a domestic goddess of motherhood, because the basics of domesticity have been enough to break me, any more and it would be a graphic mess.  I don't sacrifice who I am, by sticking to my beliefs and values at the possible expense of popularity.  I don't sacrifice who I am, by pursuing what burns in my heart of hearts and not apologizing for it, while we clothe ourselves out of laundry baskets.  I don't sacrifice who I am, by spending time doing what I think is important, which may not be what you think is important.  I don't sacrifice who I am, by being honest with myself and others about my limitations.

Jesus lay down His life for me, but He never sacrificed who He was.  He knew His Father, He knew His call, and He was given the grace, through His relationship with God the Father, to run the race to the end.  At times He was misunderstood.  He was emulated.  He was hated.  He was loved.  He succeeded in fulfilling God the Father's plan for His life.  To some He looked like a failure.  To others He was a hero.  Some worshipped Him.  Some crucified Him.  Such is the life of conviction without compromise.  He was fulfilled.  His food was to do the will of His Father, who sent Him.  He lay down His life, but did not sacrifice who He was.  For Love, for joy.  Strength born out of relationship with God.

Laying down our lives produces the fruit of joy and peace in seeing our transformation into the likeness of Jesus.  Sacrificing who we are does not produce peace and joy, but the opposite, some of which I mentioned earlier in this post.  Sacrifice tries to buy relationship, laying down is the product of relationship and is based on love and trust.

Learn who you are.  It's worth the dig.  Be true to yourself.  Walk with Love, He will show you the way.

If we don't love ourselves, we will have no idea how to love others.

Someone somewhere wrote this:
"The glory of God is Man fully alive."

I want to be fully alive.