Every morning I have the same conversation in my head. “To gym, or not to gym?” I always make plans to work out, but my plans don’t typically go as planned. Instead, I indulge by feeding myself lies like, “I will just go tomorrow morning.” Then, when morning comes around, I push it to the evening. And when the evening comes, I motivate myself for a fresh start tomorrow. This has now become a constant routine. I occasionally break the cycle and push myself to go, but there are more defeated moments than victories. I seem to want something, but not badly enough to change my habits for it. I’m stuck between how I feel and what I want, and my feelings win all the time.
In life, we put so much time into our jobs and our dreams, in order to have the life we want. However, how much time are you willing to put into something you don’t yet see? I have a friend who is studying for a major exam. She told me she wakes up two hours before work just to study. Not only that, but she also studies at lunch and again before bed. She sacrifices the little time she has and her social life for her long-term goal -a goal she does not yet see. She sacrifices to have the outcome in life she desires.
Sacrifice is to withhold from or forfeit something for a greater cause. You’re not just giving something up, you are exchanging it for greater value.
I utter these words almost every day, “I’m TIRED.” But you can’t get anywhere by always being tired. I need to forfeit this feeling because it comes across as:
I basically want everything, but want to sacrifice nothing for it.
Sacrifice is synonymous to the Christian faith because you have a savior who made an ultimate sacrifice, and as a follower, you live a life of sacrifice to honor your creator. You are forever changing and interrupting your feelings to do what is right. An example of this is occurred while I was dating my husband. I wanted a strong relationship that wasn’t based on sex, so we decided to make a temporary sacrifice for a long-term outcome. Are you willing to be temporarily uncomfortable for a greater cause?
“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” - Matthew 16:25
Whenever I read this verse, it reminds me that holding on to the things that comfort me and believing I can have it all without sacrifice, will only lead me to lose the life I’m trying to keep. However, If I sacrifice my life for the sake of God, and only the necessities I will save it.
In the same way, if we stay in our comfort zones and in our feelings, we will lose out on growth, transformation, and maturity. But if we can learn to sacrifice the time, the effort, and the will for change, we can save ourselves from a lifetime of pain and repetition. We can be saved from the guilt, the heartache, and the depression of not being where we should be. Sacrificing not only gets you to your goals but bring out discipline needed to maintain it.
I love the luxury of eating what I want, but hate the repercussions of my actions. Do you find yourself constantly falling into the same trap, and hating the outcome? Because we are creatures of habit, when we have been learning something a certain way for so long, it becomes a part of our nature and who we are. Sacrifice steps in when you want to interrupt what is constant and habitual and trade it in for something new.
So, no matter what you want out of life, whether it is a healthy relationship, a stable marriage, a new job, acceptance into a great college, a new car, or any other thing you have your eye on -what sacrifices are you willing to make to obtain it?