The Sacrifice

“Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Luke 18:22).

Disorder.

Chaos.

That is what my house feels like at this time. As we prepare our home for a massive interior paint job, the contents of our kitchen cabinets take up all available space in the rooms that are not going to be painted.

I’m feeling guilty about having too much stuff.

I’m feeling sentimental about some of the stuff. In an effort to de-clutter, it goes in a box, not to reappear until the next house.

And as we prepare to sell, I begrudgingly put cherished family photos away. I never realized how much I enjoyed seeing those memories on a daily basis.

But I am realizing how good I’ve had it for the past ten years. Now God is calling me to sacrifice.

“What will you give up to follow me?” he asks.

With our second child in college, there were only two choices. Put the Pearls of Promise ministry on hold and go back to work or lower overhead so I can continue to reach women for Christ.

You see, God had already prepared me to make this decision. A year ago, when I thought I was supposed to return to a 9-5 job, he placed a neon sign in front of me. It was from the book of Romans and said, “For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29).

He was saying he called me to the ministry. He wasn’t taking that call back and I needed to trust him to provide.

While God does provide, sometimes he also asks us to give something up to demonstrate our love for him. In Mark 10:17-22, a rich young ruler falls at Jesus’ feet and asked him what he had to do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus got to the bottom line and said, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me,” it was too much for the wealthy young man. He couldn’t do it. Jesus asked him to sacrifice his wealth because he knew the young ruler had a stranglehold on his stuff. That was his idol.

At one time or another Jesus will ask us all to sacrifice because he wants to test our hearts for him. It’s different for everyone.

Maybe it’s less square footage so we can have discretionary income for ministry.

Maybe it’s releasing some of our material possessions.

Maybe it’s getting out of our comfort zone and caring for the homeless under the bridge.

Maybe it’s turning away from a sinful habit.

God still calls us to sacrifice for him. It just looks different than it did before Christ, the unblemished lamb, laid his life at the altar.

What is God calling you to sacrifice?

So while I am not liking the process, I know I am following Jesus. He will lead me through it as I pack, then unpack. He will bring his peace to the disorder and he will guide us to our next home.

And I know the sacrifice he is calling me to make now is nothing compared to the one he made for us. And I am grateful.