Sacrifice assumes desire. While it’s tempting to believe our duty is just to grin and bear the suffering of this life – trusting that somehow it’s good, this is not the example set by Christ. It was for the joy set before him that Christ endured the cross. And our endurance needs this vision of joy as well.
To be sure, Christ’s joy was not in the cross itself. In fact, he prayed for this cup of suffering to be removed from him if it was possible. But ultimately he was obedient to his Father’s will because of what was on the other side. He wanted to give us life to the full and so he was willing to sacrifice himself on the cross for our sake.
But it should be clear that while he was obedient, his sacrifice was not merely a disinterested duty. He wasn’t doing it just because this is what he was supposed to do. No one took Christ’s life from him. He freely laid it down for the joy set before him.
And it’s in this same way we’re to offer ourselves. We don’t lay down our lives for our wives, for instance, just because this is our duty. We do it for the life we want her to experience, and our sacrifice is simply the cost we’re willing to pay for her flourishing.
We risk cultivating a bitter and resentful heart within ourselves when our sacrifices are divorced from a greater desire. But with a vision of joy set before us, our sacrifices are now a path of formation – shaping our strength to bare fruit and blessings for others.
The question is not will we suffer. Life will continue to require many sacrifices. But are your sacrifices leading you to a greater joy?
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