WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD...making sacrifices

Life can be hard. Choices need to be made. Hard times come and go. Loved ones leave this world. Close friends move away. Sickness wracks our bodies. Life is tough sometimes...but what we usually mean when we say this is that life is hard FOR US sometimes. We notice it right away when we are mistreated or inconvenienced. We are quick to sulk when we feel deprived or unappreciated. Face it, when life is difficult for us, we notice!

But what about when life is hard for others? How quickly do we notice that?

We look at their complaining and sulking as a bad attitude, instead of noting that they may need an encouraging word or a pat on the back or just someone to show concern or assistance. We miss the mark when it comes to other people's difficult times, the pain and pressure that they are under just doesn't register with us the same way it does when it is OUR pain and pressure. When we feel like complaining, we expect everyone to feel sorry for us but we don't do the same for others.

When we love someone though, it doesn't happen this way. I have less tolerance for a strangers whining attitude than those that are close to me. The reason is that I can usually see trouble brewing far ahead. I can see the weight building and the stress piling up on those closest to me. When I see these signs, love spruces into action. I can't always fix the problems, but I can encourage them with my words and my actions. This sometimes means I will need to sacrifice something though. It may mean I will have to sacrifice taking my mind off of my own problems and put others before me.

That's not the only thing we might need to sacrifice...in last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question, "What do you sacrifice the most?" The top 3 responses were:

1. 42% of those voting said that they sacrifice their time the most.

2. 28% voted and said that their feelings get sacrificed.

3. 14% responded and said that they sacrifice their sleep.

Love makes sacrifices. Even when the other person is so burdened down with the cares of the world that they take it out on us. They say things that they don't mean. The act in a way that is totally not them. Love will oversee these things, after all wouldn't you want someone to oversee your bad attitude in the midst of your crisis?

Loving others is not alway agreeing, but it is forgiving and understanding and giving grace. Isn't that what Jesus did?

(1 John 3:16) "He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers."

Not only brothers...but sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends, neighbors and yes, even strangers. Jesus taught us that the evidence of love is found in seeing a need in others, and then doing everything possible to satisfy the need. Sometimes it is a sacrificial token of love.

God sacrificed so much for us, so why is it so difficult for us to sacrifice just a little?