I wonder if Jesus really thought about our salvation as a sacrifice or more like a privilege, an honor to lay down His life to spend eternity with His friends?
For the joy – the holy privilege – set before Him, Jesus was honored to come in like a King and die like a thief for us.
I heard myself the other day listing off all of the daily sacrifices I make for those I love – how I feel like I’m the one that has to remain present, flexible and constantly serving. I was complaining, feeling unimportant, slightly used, and unthanked.
The Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks to correct my word “sacrifice,” letting me know it wasn’t true.
“These things are really a privilege given from me to you in love,” the Holy Spirit reminded my heart.
On a daily basis, privilege from the Lord for us could look like:
* Being home with a sick child.
* Waiting on good plans because God says to.
* Caring for an aging parent.
* Laundry. All the laundry.
* Serving in marriage.
* Changing a calendar for others.
* Volunteering in a thankless ministry.
I’m learning when we think we are sacrificing, we start to think about ourselves and what we are giving up or missing out on. But the privilege given to us by the Holy Spirit is the very thing we long for – to love God and love others. Privilege is the ability to actively love in our daily lives.
Jesus said in Matthew 9:13 that He doesn’t want our sacrifices, He wants us to be merciful. It’s not a sacrifice of our time, energy, or heart, but a privilege to act upon the love we have been given by Jesus to share.
So, if it feels like a “sacrifice” as you serve tirelessly, change that one word. It’s really the privilege of active love – an overflowing of the Holy Spirit’s love that’s been poured into us. We have the privilege to serve, share, wait, help, and be patient in love.
We can’t have faith on our own – or show mercy or patience or love. The sacrifice of ourselves is picking up our cross and following Jesus. But then, that is the privilege we are called to, our very mission, as the ones privileged enough to be called the Daughters of the King of all Kings.
Our mindset needs to shift to know we are the privileged ones, given the opportunity to serve, to forget about ourselves and think of only the other, to be stripped of the world and know that Jesus is with us, holding us up, going before us and pouring in His love so we have something to give.
Privilege translates into an honor to serve and quickly turns into an opportunity for our crowning moment.
Leave a CommentAnd they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” (Revelation 4:10b-11)
Michele Morin says
Thank you, Stephanie, for making the list (especially All the Laundry) and then reminding me that this is all part of the continual offering up of my life. It’s kind of glamorous to think about handing my life over to God for His purposes, but so much harder to pour it out one drop (one schedule change, one trip to the pharmacy) at a time. As we celebrate resurrection this weekend, may we also celebrate the Truth that Jesus, “for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame,” and then rejoice in our comparatively small “sacrifices.”
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Stephanie,
It’s amazing how changing one word changes our whole perspective. Privilege vs. sacrifice. I read another post by a blogger, whose name I can’t remember, that if we insert the words, “I get to…” when normally we would say, “I have to…” it can make all the difference. I think there’s a bit of the “martyr complex” in all of us humans, but it wasn’t present in Christ. I believe He was led by a great love for us sinners when He willingly went to the cross. Oh how blessed we are. What a Savior!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Kim Kempf says
What a Savior indeed!
Maggie says
Thank you Stephanie for that reminder especially as we think of Good Friday.
His sacrificial love for us.
I too whine when things get rough in my “privileged” life. A privileged life for I have health and food on the table.
Have a wonderful Resurrection Sunday
Pearl Allard says
Stephanie, this totally goes with what I’ve been studying at BSF in Romans about “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another…” I knew my purpose was to love God and people, but it changes things to hear it phrased such that every morning I wake up, I owe a debt of love. At first I was depressed – I’ll never be out from this! Then I considered the alternative – enslaved to sin. God lets me be ruled by love, and I have the privilege of being a channel of that love to others. Thanks for confirming this truth, Stephanie. Happy Easter early!
Little Mary says
I love your thought on either owing a debt of love or being enslaved to sin! Praise God we are no longer the latter!!!
Vivian Balfour says
Vivian
Vivian Balfour says
Thank you for this word!
It has so blessed me this morning, as I thought of the wks and mos. before my husband passed away!
The running back and forth to the hospital, being able to bring him home, the never ending needs he had,
that I got to do!
God so blessed me thru it!
Thanks for the reminder! Happy Resurrection Sunday! Vivian
Lynne Molyneaux says
Stephanie – I never thought of Jesus seeing it a “privilege, an honor to lay down His life to spend eternity with His friends.” Wow. Just this week I was whining to myself on the way to work about the burdens I have, but now I will start to look at them as the privileges God has given me.
Thank you for providing this fresh perspective.
Blessed Easter all!
Suzanna says
I have felt this way for weeks. The person I am with would not help me in any way and I became frustrated until today when I read this. Thank you the reassurance. I want to wish everyone A Happy Easter Praising God every day.
Danita says
Thank you for sharing. What an interesting thought — did Jesus see it as a privilege? I’ll be meditating on that today, without a doubt.
Janet says
Thank you for sharing these beautiful words-I know the Lord is speaking through you to encourage me in a challenging situation i’m In with a loved one. To change my thinking from ‘have to’ to a ‘precious privilege’ for God’s glory and my spiritual growth.❤️
Charlene Lovett says
I really needed this! Thank you for sharing the Father’s heart. I have been married almost 53 years, and my hubby isn’t at all “domestic”, and there are times when I feel like he just gets to sit and enjoy life while I do all the work around here. So I appreciate being reminded that all the work I do should be counted a privilege as you say, and not a sacrifice. I had never thought that if I treat the work as I should, without complaining, I will be earning a crown to lay at my Savior’s feet! What a wonderful thought! I have a friend who likes to say: “I don’t HAVE to, but I get to.” There are so many things in this life that we don’t HAVE to do, and we could just not do them. But on the other hand, if we are viewing it from a heavenly perspective, we’ll realize that we may not have to, but we get to!
Kathy Cheek, Devotions from the Heart says
I have so much room for improvement in this area of my life. The Holy Spirit has also convicted me when my attitude needed adjusting. I truly do need to look at more areas of serving as a privilege and I think it will make a lot of difference!
Happy Easter!
Rebecca Jones says
It is a privilege to love, and even more to let Him love us.
Beth says
Thanks so much for your Spirit-inspired thoughts, Stephanie. We all forget that we’re so awesomely privileged to serve our Lord with our everyday lives (and none more so than me….) and this is just such a good reminder. I’m keeping it and referring to it often. Have a most wonderfully Blessed Easter! <3
Maria Lockard says
This is encouraging to me and very applicable as I live with 5 other people and have been feeling exactly the things you described.
Praying I can adjust my attitude yet again and be transformed by the Holy Spirit as I renew my mind.
Thanks so much
Beth Williams says
Stephanie,
We are all blessed beyond measure. God has graciously freed us from t he slavery of sin. I used to think that I had to sacrifice full-time job for care giving of elderly parent & was upset. Now I can see it as a privilege to show God’s love. He allowed me the time & money to stay home for a while & be there for dad. God was also gracious to give me a great part-time job locally (sometimes full time). The people are nice & allow me to be off when I need.
My hubby’s job has gotten busier-they lost 3 employees & he has to work more hours. It is my privilege to help him care for his parents. His dad (90 almost) has Stage III bladder cancer & will have surgery Apr. 23. MIL isn’t doing well either. I use my time to cook meals & check on them often.
Since leaving my full-tie job I have given more time to God. I volunteer with Cancer society, help out more at church. The Holy Spirit was nudging me right before I quit. All things work out for good to those who love God those who are called by His name.
Have a blessed Easter everyone!!
Blessings 🙂
Maylee says
We are called to serve and when I realized this in my marriage, my attitude changed. We get so easily distracted by what this world, society tells us what is considered a privilege. It is a privileged to serve others. When we do this out of love and not a sense of checking it off of a To-Do list, our whole perspective changes. Easier said than done I know but through trial and errors of our way of thinking, we will become a better version of ourself in serving others and in serving our Wonderful Awesome God! Thank you for sharing this and reminding us of this.