Grateful people – they are people able for self-sacrifice! II
I am glad to greet you again in our column “Daily Word for Spiritual Strength”!
We are continuing to speak about the fact that every person who loves God is a person able to make self-sacrifices.
Yesterday we were speaking about Abraham, who loved God not only in his words but also in his works. As a sign of his gratitude, Abraham built altars and offered sacrifices for God.
Let us look at another time when Abraham built an altar for the Lord:
“The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.”(Genesis 13:14-18).
We see that building an altar was the correct response of Abraham towards God’s grace.
If we learn to appreciate and cherish everything that God does in our lives, then it will be natural for us to sacrifice or build an altar for God.
Know that when speaking about sacrifice, God will never ever ask you for something that you do not have! His love does not require that, God’s love is not abusive. If you truly love someone, you will never ask from them what they do not have.
Forget about what you do not have, think about what you do have. Be sure that you own a lot!
As a church, we can be more useful and influential than we are today. We can do more, give more; we can have more. People must rise, people-worshippers who will love God and who will not hold back their abilities, wisdom, experience, time and finances in order to build the Kingdom of God. Worshippers are easy to be directed. Worship is not just singing songs. Worship costs something! And they who pay this price, are the true worshippers of God.
Do not deceive yourself; if you seriously want to follow God, then build your altar and bring all of your favourite sine upon it: pride, selfishness, ambitions, lust of flesh, and lust of eyes. Bring upon it your time, your gifts, abilities, knowledge, talents, experience, etc. Thus you can become a powerful instrument in the hands of God to expand His Kingdom and spread His perfect fragrance. Understand that if you are able to sacrifice to God, then the reward from Him will be much larger than what you can give to Him.
Do you love the Lord more than anything in your life? Begin to prove it with your way of life and self-sacrifice!
May God bless you!
Pastor Rufus Ajiboy
