Sacrifice

[Gail]

I'm talking about personal sacrifice... what does that mean to you?

Giving up of one's life? Or foregoing a treat at the grocery store?

How far would you go?

[ClubV12]

Hi Gail, your thread is looking a bit lonely...

I think one problem is that how would you post something your doing to "sacrafice" without it sounding like an ego trip?

I'd love to share some of the things I'm doing, not just here, but in Sabbath school, or prayer meeting, or just with folks from the church. But I don't know how to do that without possibly making them feel uneasy (guilt trip) or that I'm bragging in some way.

As it concerns lifestyle, wow, the radical changes I've been going through in the last year are startling. My close friends have noticed and they are not all together happy about it. I'm struggling to find a way to still be their friend, enjoy their lifestyle, be upbeat and happy about it all and yet, be true to my new principles in life as well.

[John317]

I found that once I truly committed my life to Christ, I lost a lot of friends. The reason is that our friendship often involved doing things I couldn't do any more-- like drinking, going to bars and to other places I can't go to any more. During that time, most of my friends were atheists or practicing gays, or both. One gay friend was baptized with me, and he and I stayed close friends for many years afterwads. But the others dropped away because we no longer had the same things in common.

Being a Sabbath keeper, I was glad to sacrifice running on the track team in a public high school. I didn't think twice about telling the coach that I couldn't take part in the track meets that were all held on the Sabbath. He said I was crazy to give up that opportunity to compete for the biggest high school in Arizona. But as a Sabbath keeper I learned early on that it is necessary to sacrifice in order to obey God.

Later I went away from Christ and walked a different road, but I never forgot the Sabbath and it was a major reason I came back to the Lord and to His church. Despite those "sacrifices" for God's holy day, I didn't think of them that way, partly because I had such wonderful Sabbath memories.

[skyblue888]

Hi Gail, your thread is looking a bit lonely...

I think one problem is that how would you post something your doing to "sacrafice" without it sounding like an ego trip?

I'd love to share some of the things I'm doing, not just here, but in Sabbath school, or prayer meeting, or just with folks from the church. But I don't know how to do that without possibly making them feel uneasy (guilt trip) or that I'm bragging in some way.

As it concerns lifestyle, wow, the radical changes I've been going through in the last year are startling. My close friends have noticed and they are not all together happy about it. I'm struggling to find a way to still be their friend, enjoy their lifestyle, be upbeat and happy about it all and yet, be true to my new principles in life as well.

Club

____________________

Club, when I hear your testimony I can't help but think about this man I was working with in the late seventies. During break time I would read from The Great Controversy. One day I had a talk with him about spiritual things. I told him about the book and asked him if he would be interested in taking a look at it and he said he would. So he took it and put it on his desk. Day after day went by without him touching it until one day I said to him, If you are not interested in it, can I take it back, and he said, Leave it there one more day.

That very day he took it home and the next day when he came to work, he walked in and looked at me with a smile on his face. He had read the chapters I had suggested he reads first and he said that he was a changed man. He stopped drinking wine and going to parties and I believe he sold his corvet. He was the life of the party. He was baptized a few weeks later and as far as I know he is still in the church today.

sky

[Gail]

Hi Gail, your thread is looking a bit lonely...

I think one problem is that how would you post something your doing to "sacrafice" without it sounding like an ego trip?

I'd love to share some of the things I'm doing, not just here, but in Sabbath school, or prayer meeting, or just with folks from the church. But I don't know how to do that without possibly making them feel uneasy (guilt trip) or that I'm bragging in some way.

As it concerns lifestyle, wow, the radical changes I've been going through in the last year are startling. My close friends have noticed and they are not all together happy about it. I'm struggling to find a way to still be their friend, enjoy their lifestyle, be upbeat and happy about it all and yet, be true to my new principles in life as well.

No ego trip... but a hard thing to do.

[John317]

And all just because you shared the Great Controversy with someone!! That's wonderful to hear, sky. There's no doubt the Holy Spirit impressed you to offer it to him.

[fccool]

Sacrifice really is a different meaning today than during it's etymological original context.

Sacre - Sacred

Facare - to perform

Actually means to perform what is sacred. Sacred means dedicated for something special.

Today, we tend to interpret it though Catholic glasses (although I'm really glad that people on this thread don't. It's awesome that you don't).

We think that it means to give "something up that's dear to you". In reality, it may simply mean to give as a special gift. It does not have to be anything huge. It can be as simple as teaching a fatherless kid how to throw a baseball, or just being polite by carrying heavy things for an old lady. May not mean much to us, but it's huge for them.

The other day, I told a kid in church who is interested in making films, that he can come and "work for me" . I offered him mom to shadow me at work a couple hours a day, and learn some skills he would really love to have. It's not really that much of a "giving things up" for me, but I know it means a world to him. He was besides himself.

In their own way, those things are "sacred service" IMO. It does not have to revolve around purely religious context. Things either drive us closer to God, or further away. Just showing pure kindness with no strings attached may go a long way.

[skyblue888]

"God will accept everyone that comes to Him trusting wholly in the merits of the crucified Saviour. Love springs up in the heart. There may be no ecstasy of feeling but there is an abiding, peaceful trust. Duty becomes a delight, and sacrifice a pleasure. The path that seemed shrouded in darkness becomes bright with beams from the Sun of Righteousness. This is walking in the light as He is in the light." 1 S.M.354.

So when imbued with the love of God duty becomes a delight and sacrifice a pleasure.

What would have been a sacrifice before is now become a pleasure.

sky

[skyblue888]

And all just because you shared the Great Controversy with someone!! That's wonderful to hear, sky. There's no doubt the Holy Spirit impressed you to offer it to him.

__________________

Just from chatting with him I could see that he was not interested in religion for the same reason I had not been interested having a Catholic background. I told him a little bit about what the Bible says in the book of Revelation about the teachings of Catholicism and he became very interested. He was surprised that the Bible had this to say about the papacy and I told him that if he read the book The Great Controversy he would learn a lot more about it.

sky

[ClubV12]

Sky says,

"So when imbued with the love of God duty becomes a delight and sacrifice a pleasure."

Well put Sky. In light of the cross we begin to comprehend the greatness of the Fathers love, what sacrafice can compare?

On a practical level, "reality christianity", my simpler more modest lifestyle has allowed me to free up and give more of my assets in order to provide for others less fortunate. I'm learning to do it in a way where you expect nothing in return. At first, it was nice to see some kind of "reward" for my "investment". A smile, a thank you, some positive result that I could feel good about. Thats changing with the concept of don't let your right hand know what you left hand is doing. I'm trying to do things in a more anonymous way, and not looking for "results". I give to God, through people or the church or personally and leave the results to Him. It's not always easy, "self" still wants to see "results". As an investor in the world I always watched carefuly the ROI (return on investment). It's hard to give up that concept. :)

[skyblue888]

Sky says,

"So when imbued with the love of God duty becomes a delight and sacrifice a pleasure."

Well put Sky. In light of the cross we begin to comprehend the greatness of the Fathers love, what sacrafice can compare?

On a practical level, "reality christianity", my simpler more modest lifestyle has allowed me to free up and give more of my assets in order to provide for others less fortunate. I'm learning to do it in a way where you expect nothing in return. At first, it was nice to see some kind of "reward" for my "investment". A smile, a thank you, some positive result that I could feel good about. Thats changing with the concept of don't let your right hand know what you left hand is doing. I'm trying to do things in a more anonymous way, and not looking for "results". I give to God, through people or the church or personally and leave the results to Him. It's not always easy, "self" still wants to see "results". As an investor in the world I always watched carefuly the ROI (return on investment). It's hard to give up that concept.

Club, its not me who said it!

You are on the right track but remember that if it is not always easy it is because at that moment we are not imbued with the same love that was in the heart of Christ. I know it sounds kind of strange to say this but it is true according to 1 S.M.354.

sky :)

[John317]

Sacrifice really is a different meaning today than during it's etymological original context.

Sacre - Sacred

Facare - to perform

Actually means to perform what is sacred. Sacred means dedicated for something special.

.... Just showing pure kindness with no strings attached may go a long way.

True.

Hebrews 13:15, 16-- By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name.

But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

[Gail]

So where did the other meaning come from?

[Gail]

I would like to hear more! :)

[fccool]

Since many of the sacred rites revolved around killing animals and people, the words got mixed up in that particular context. For example, sacrificing animals, or sacrificing infants.

Then, through Catholic Christianity's emphasis on suffering, sacrifice took yet another turn, and became associated with suffering. Suffering became a sacred rite that somehow pleases God.