The Ultimate Sacrifice

While a student at Texas A&M University, I was part of an organization that requires its members to participate in a variety of different traditions, rites of passage, and the memorization of “campusologies.” These campusologies were typically about obscure facts, dates, songs, yells, and the history of the university. Freshman in the organization had the unique privilege of being required to recite any campusology at the request of an upperclassman at any moment.

Some of these activities made no sense at the time, but upon reflection now, I can identify a purpose—like memorizing your upperclassmen’s name, hometown, and field of study to begin learning the art of networking. Other activities that also made no sense at the time, still make little sense to me today—like memorizing the lineage of the mascot and their years of service: Reveille VII, 2001-2008.

However, other campusologies are for the purpose of honoring the legacy of former students—like recalling the names of the university’s now eight Congressional Medal of Honor recipients or the inscription engraved on the Memorial Student Center. That inscription is found in John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Every time I was required to recite this particular campusology, I would personally consider the sacrificial love Jesus showed upon the cross when He died for our sins. This love Jesus demonstrated was more than a simple emotion—it was instead a sacrificial action, the ultimate sacrificial action. Anything else would be a lesser form of love. Jesus told His disciples in the next verse that if they did what He commands, they would be considered His friends—the same friends that He would eventually lay down His life for.

While many of us are never presented with a situation requiring us to demonstrate our love by dying for the sake of another, genuine love still oftentimes involves some level of sacrifice. This Easter, let’s not only reflect on Christ’s action for us but also consider what we should sacrifice for Him. This may be as simple as sacrificing an additional thirty minutes of sleep in the morning for time with God reading the Bible. Or it may be teaching your child to sacrifice a soccer practice for the opportunity to enroll in AWANA on a Wednesday night. Or it may be potentially sacrificing a relationship in order to share the gospel with an unbeliever you know. Whatever we choose to sacrifice, let’s do it for the right reasons, so that we may bring honor and glory to God.

Questions for Thought

1. What should you sacrifice for the honor and glory of God?
2. What is preventing you from making that sacrifice?

Daily Challenge

Make a list of things that are preventing you from growing in your personal relationship with Christ. Take a step to change one of those items today.