Which Sacrifices?
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. ”
Lent is a time to focus on our choices and how to nurture our relationship with God. Even the most talented and intelligent person in the world cannot do everything. Every decision we make is a form of sacrifice. One decision made means any number of other options are no longer available. We do not need to mourn our sacrifices when we invite God to be part of our decision-making process.
John P. Weiss, in his article, “To Achieve Success and Mastery, What are You Willing to Sacrifice?” states, “Sacrifice is hard, but like compound interest, it can pay off down the road.” The keyword in Weiss’s sentence is “can.” Unfortunately, not all sacrifices pay off. Therefore, we require the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we will end up going down all the wrong roads until our days are done. Life is too short to go the wrong way for very long.
Sacrifices are often disturbing, if not downright scary. It is bad enough when it can make or break your life. According to Weiss, “It’s much harder to risk your security when you have a spouse and/or children depending on you.” Never sacrificing isn’t always good for you or your family either. But, again, trusting God to lead your decisions is the only way forward.
Today, ask God to walk with you through the lifelong challenges of decision-making. Trust God enough not to be so careful you miss divinely inspired opportunities. The only way to know the difference is to remain prayerfully and worshipfully intimate with the Almighty One. Then, when you are faced with a choice of whether this is the proper sacrifice for you and those you love, you will recognize the still small voice of the Spirit whispering to your soul and mind. Then, you can give your all to whatever you choose to do, knowing God supports your decisions every step of the way.
