Sometimes we fail to realize the extent of the sacrifice that God willing went through to grant us all salvation. No, let me rephrase that. Most of the time.
I was listening to a sermon in our church recently and I started thinking about my situation I was currently in, and how great it would be of God just swooped in and took care of it all for me. Why wouldn't he do that? I wondered. Then the sermon continued, and made me think about something more important than my current work situation, or financial predicament that I had walked into this time. God do swoop in. God saved me. God sent his son to die on the cross for me. And you. And that guy I don't like so much. And that driver that cut me off this morning. Jesus died. But do I care?
I started thinking, why do I focus so much on the physical world around me? Why do I devote so much energy to worrying about what is happening, or worse, what might happen? Why does Jesus' sacrifice not hold a more prominent place in my heart, why isn't it the first thing I think of rather than just on Sundays when the pastor reminds me?
I thought again about whether or not God swooping in and rescuing me from my situation would likely teach me anything. Which would probably be a major reason why he doesn't do it. It made me think of a little analogy.
Let's say I take off Friday evening, head down to the closest casino, and join a poker game. Now, maybe things start turning south for me and I start losing money. So, to try and take one more stab at getting my money back, I put the family SUV, our only vehicle, on the line. And I lose...
Wow, what do I do now? How do I tell my wife? What a stupid thing I did! Remorse would flood in, tears pour out. Feelings of shame and regret overwhelm me, how could I ever have done such a thing?
Suddenly, I remember my rich uncle. I call him, explain my plight, and within a day, he swoops in, buys our family another SUV and all is well.
Great ending, right? Wrong.
Did my rich uncle sacrifice? Maybe a little, but in the end the little bit of cash it cost him to buy us a new vehicle didn't affect him at all. Did I learn anything? I would hope so, but my experience with human nature says likely not. In a a situation like this, I would likely go back and do it again. Depending on how great the feelings of pain and regret were, maybe I wouldn't do it again for a month. Maybe a year. But, likely, I would.
So let's rewind. Let's say I have an uncle, but he's not rich. He's single, but has only one vehicle and often struggles to make his bills each month. Of course, I don't ask him for a new truck, but he hears of what I've done and he gives us his only vehicle. Humiliated, yet grateful, I accept his offer because he won't have it any other way. This uncle sacrificed. This uncle gave up more than he could afford so that my family could move on past my mistake.
Would I learn from that? I would think most people would. I would think that the constant reminder of a relative walking to work, walking to the store, walking to the library would help in ensuring that I never put this vehicle up at risk like that again.
God sacrificed it all. Jesus gave up his life, so that I could live. Jesus suffered and died so that I could be saved.
So what do his sacrifice mean to me? How does it change my life? Do I think about it every time win, very time I fail? Am I grateful that he paid the price I never could've paid?
Lyrics from the song "Once Again": Jesus Christ, I think upon your sacrifice. You became nothing, poured out to death. Many times, I think about your gift of love, now I'm in that place once again.
Do you think upon his sacrifice? When you are tempted, do you look to the cross? Do you consider the price that he paid for you? Are you humbled? Are you grateful?
Let the cross change you.
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