If you’d spent eight years in college, a few more in a medical residency program, and about $120K on student loans, wouldn’t you expect to start earning some serious cash when you were finished becoming a doctor? What if you were born wealthy, had spent your entire life training to take over the family business? When you finally were granted your long-waited position, wouldn’t you want the wealth, power and prestige that came along with the job? I certainly would. And I’m not sure there’s too much wrong with wanting the spoils after putting in so much work. But on the flip side, I’ve personally met several well-educated folks who shunned jobs that would make them both comfortable and wealthy in favor of serving inner-city families, or of being the only doctor or dentist within thousands of miles in some far removed village. And what about the many missionaries who’ve given up everything to serve in terribly backward countries without even the comfort of running water or toilets? It’s this kind of sacrificial giving that gives us the slightest hint of how much our Lord loves us. Imagine for a moment, that you’ve not only got everything you’d ever need, but you were God Almighty. Then, you watched in horror as your precious children were tempted and led away from you. Not because you were forced to, or because you had to but because your love for them caused you to want to give up everything in favor of reaching out to a lost and hurting world? Like the missionary, Jesus could have stayed in comfort, but decided not to. All because He wanted to give some of what He had to a hopeless bunch of souls?
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1
In Christ, PastorJimKilby @Kilbin8er