Stamped on scripture's pages

Bienhome Muivah *

Sacrifice is the evidence of your commitment to God's call and to the people you serve. Sacrifice is the window through which others clearly see your heart for them and your desire that they don't fall short of anything God wants them to be or to do. Sacrifice says you are willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

It is an expression of your faith and confidence in God. You can give to others because you know that God will take care of you. And out of gratitude for God's great sacrifice in giving His Son so that you would be set free from the death sentence of sin, you give to others.

This sacrificial attitude is stamped all over the pages of scripture. Abraham, gives up his right to have the best land so that Lot can be happy. Nehemiah leaves comfort and security and risks everything so he can fulfill God's call to rebuild the hopes and the lives of the people back in Jerusalem. Ruth lay aside her future so that she can love and care for her mother-in-law. Esther puts her life on the line to save Jews. Jonathan risks his life and rejected by his father, Saul, in order to help his friend David fulfill God's call for his life. The list is endless.

Contrary to every instinct and intuition in you, the way to profound fulfillment and an overwhelming sense of purpose is to give yourself for others. It is dying to yourself for the right reasons that you find yourself and experience life to the fullest. 'This was Jesus' point in John 12: 24-25 when he said, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.

But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life". Grain will never produce wheat unless it is planted in the ground. It has to be buried in order to produce any good.

Too many of us are spending too much time and energy on ourselves. Our spiritual crop is limited-and even non-existent-because we refuse to be buried. We are standing on top of the soil, insisting, "Hey, look at me, and watch where you are stepping. Don't you know that I am a unique, special piece of grain?" our self-absorption is hurting our ability to love and give to others so that they can soar and be all that God intended for them to be.

In fact, we are unwittingly engaged in a sort of negative discipleship, teaching others by our example that we should help and give to others only up to the point when we have to sacrifice ourselves. Is it any wonder that we increasingly speak of the responsibilities placed in our hands as a job or career and not as a sacred trust worthy of our call? Watch out, we are witnessing the erosion of the nobility of sacrifice in the world and growing more and more self-centered.

The Wardrobe of Sacrifice

A servant leader will be called to sacrifice himself in many different ways. Here are a few:
Dealing with difficult people. I believe you have heard the old line "Leadership would be great if it weren't for the people!" just think what we could accomplish if we didn't have to deal with motivation apathetic people, answering innumerable questions, and working through their differences and disagreements with us. God wants us to love and give even to those who irritate us. He reminds us that part of His assignment involves helping people like this grow in their faith.

Giving up the urge to "just get the task done". We often need to remind ourselves that completing the task may be only a small part of an assignment from God.

Investing in those who report to you. Sometimes this requires a sacrifice of your time. For example, you may be facing a huge workload and you feel the pressure to devote all your time to completing it, but you also see the need to spend time outside the office with your co-workers to develop a better relationship.

Investing in others also may require a sacrifice in your prominence.

Giving up time with family. While there are many who lose their families in their drive for success, there are others who swing to the other extreme. While we don't want to be workaholics and lose our families while we are fulfilling God's assignments, some have made family an idol. They have neglected and, in some cases, abdicated God's call for their lives because they wrongly assumed that this was an either/or proposition they refuse to let anything come in the way of family commitments.

In fact, God may want to use the sacrifice associated with your calling to rebuild and strengthen your family. We certainly need to give them what they need and deserve in terms of our time and attention. And one of the most important lessons in life is that sometimes there must be justifiable sacrifices. There are times when they should lay aside what they would like or want for no other reason than it is the right thing to do.

Aint we drawn to the moving passage of 2Timothy4:6-8.Here the great apostle Paul encouraged the young leaders Timothy to give himself completely to the calling and to the people God has given to him. Paul wrote Timothy from prison and was about to be executed for proclaiming the gospel. But his parting words for his son in the faith were not a call for sympathy but a challenge to embrace and emulate the sacrifices made on his behalf by his mentor.

2 Timothy 4:6-8. The expression "poured out as a drink offering", Paul borrowed this word picture from the story of King David's mighty men who risked their lives by breaking through enemy territory just to bring back water to David from his favorite well in Bethlehem (I Chronicle 11:17-19).

When David realized that they had put their lives on the line to provide him with this luxury, he was overwhelmed and refused to drink the water. Instead he poured the water out on the ground as an act of worship and thanksgiving to God for the love and sacrifice of these men for him.

By using this expression, Paul said his life is like the water that David poured out on the ground before the Lord. Paul wanted Timothy to know that he was joyously giving his all for Him. It was a part of God's call. It was an act of worship.

Who are you pouring your life out for? Do the people you serve know and feel that they are a priority to you? Are you giving more to them than you are taking from them? Do they see your leadership flowing out of the integrity of your love and commitment to them?

Do you wear the wardrobe of sacrifice?