Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Sacrifice

It's worth it to sacrifice your immediate interests and desires when the clear choice exists between doing what is right, and doing what you desire. It's worth it even when the perceived gap between the path you wanted to take and the path you chose seems to be all there is to the story.

It's something we have to accept, and hold on to, by faith. Especially at times when the path beyond the other choice seems like it would have been so much smoother.

2 comments:

Kenny said...

That's a good post, thanks. Something I've been thinking about, which seems elementary, but I'd forgotten about, is that Scripture promises that we'll be rewarded for obedience (and punished for disobedience). It's just something I hadn't thought about, honestly, in years, and has helped me a little in considering my choices. Again, like you say, it's something I have to apprehend by faith, but it's helpful to at least have some objects for your faith.

By the way, as a side note, I noticed you linked the Innocence Project. My wife actually worked on the Innocence Project in law school - just something to flag for conversation someday.

Ben said...

Whoa! Your blog layout looks all weird when I look at it. I wonder if the problem's with blogger or my computer.

Meantime.....

A) Sometimes I just need a clear, powerful blast of Scripture and/or Holy Spirit to burn away all the rationalizations I create for doing what I want to do rather than what God tells me to do. Thanks for helping with that. Best of all would be to have a heart that WANTS what God wants. I'm getting there. I have it on good authority that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it.

2) Regarding Charity for justice for the defenseless, the Innocence Project is awesome. Another great organization I'd recommend is International Justice Mission. You should totally check them out. I've never seen an organization more directly dedicated to freeing slaves and fighting for the oppressed.

(If you've never heard of IJM, don't worry. It's not some lefty liberal organization advocated by a commie like myself. It's into the kind of oppression-fighting people of all political stripes can agree on.) (Also, it amuses me that the Alliance for Justice and the Institute for Justice have almost the same name and almost the opposite political ideology. I'd love to see an organization that openly says it is against justice. Just for the humor value.)