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This next wise statement is one I heard in a sermon recently, and it’s quite simple. You’ll probably find it unimpressive but think about it. The preacher said, “It’s no sacrifice when you get more than you give.”
He referred to this passage from Matthew 16:24 – 25:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
Jesus always made it clear that there is a price to pay to follow him. Maybe you can name some prices that you have paid because you have chosen to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Perhaps some rejection by family or friends; maybe some promotions have been denied you. Certainly, there are Christians in the world who suffer continual persecution and whose lives are in peril because they follow Jesus.
The enemy of your soul wants you to believe that to live for Jesus, you must give up so much. I just want to remind you that you can never truly sacrifice anything for our Lord because what you get back in return is so much greater.
There is nothing we can offer Jesus that compares to the peace he gives us. If you have given your life to Jesus, you have received his peace that passes understanding. Unreasonable peace, I call it. And then there’s hope. Eternal hope—full assurance that you will spend eternity with our Lord. Nothing you could ever give to Jesus could match this sure knowledge that your future is secure. And joy—unfailing joy even in the midst of troubles or suffering—the joy that Jesus gives us—how could you ever put a price tag on that inward joy that comes from knowing Jesus.
So, my simple message is to remember that you can never sacrifice anything for Jesus—not in the true sense of giving up more than you get. That’s because any little or big thing you may give up for Jesus is overwhelmingly repaid with the gifts that he gives you in exchange.
So, don’t let the enemy lie to you and make you think you’ve sacrificed for Jesus. Jesus gave his life for you so that you could have life to the full—full of peace and hope and joy no matter what. You can’t call it a sacrifice if you get more than you give.