A few weeks ago, our pastor called a young single woman forward during a church service in order that the church might pray over her, and commission her as she makes her way to the Middle East to do missionary work. As I prayed for her and observed the commissioning, I thought about the fact that most people sitting there, including myself, were probably thinking about the great sacrifice she was making, and she was. She was going thousands of miles away from family, giving up all the conveniences American culture has to offer, as well as forfeiting a portion of her youthful years to answer God’s call. But, the Lord reminded me of the great privilege this young woman had been given in that He called her and set her apart for His work.
Often, we see only what we deem as sacrifice and are blinded to the privilege in what God is allowing in our lives. I must admit that it has taken me quite some time to see the privilege of the medical condition God has allowed to take over Mark’s body, or the privilege in selling our home and moving five times in five years. But, through it all, God has revealed the privilege of being called by Him to experience His power, faithfulness, love, mercy, grace, and provisions in our lives in the midst of difficulty, heartache and pain.
I was reading recently of the life of Gladys Alward, a young English woman called by God in the 1940’s to go to China to do missionary work. Her journey, the work she did, the love she gave, and the Christ she shared was not as much of a sacrifice as a great privilege in her life. I am certain that she would not have changed anything about her life, except that she might have gone sooner!
In looking at God’s word for those I believe understood the concept of sacrifice versus privilege, I look to Abraham. God called Abraham to leave family, home land, and all that was familiar and trust Him. Abraham knew following God in obedience was a great privilege, and anything that he was humanly sacrificing would more than be provided for by his great God.
Recently, several young women came to mind who are dealing with either the heartache of a terminally sick child, depression, a husband’s job loss, the divorce of parents, or personal health issues. I wondered if they would be able to come to that place of seeing these things as privilege and not sacrifice. Christ saw his suffering and death on the cross not as a sacrifice, but as an incredible privilege, in order that you and I might receive forgiveness of sin and experience eternal life.
What circumstance is God allowing in your life that you think you will never be able to survive? What circumstances are you in that feel much more like sacrifice than privilege? Are you willing to allow God to work your good and His glory through your circumstances, in order that you may experience the greatest of privileges– His divine presence and provision?
Mark and I truly believe God has allowed the circumstances of the past six years in order that we might come to the place of knowing Him and the power of His sufferings, as well as the privilege of being His children and watching Him move and work on our behalf. We have not suffered loss as some would think, but we have gained so much: things such as truly knowing God as never before, being closer to Him than any other time since we were saved in 1984, getting to know His word and the power and truth of it in our lives, seeing miracles that we never dreamed possible, seeing Him reveal Himself as Jehovah Jireh, seeing that He is the only One we can completely trust with all that we have, all we need, and all that we are. What a privilege to be His!
Father, my desire is to be submitted to the circumstances You have allowed in my life. Help me to totally surrender to the work You are wanting to do in my heart and life through what You are allowing to take place. Give me the eyes to see my life, and the situation I find myself in, as a privilege and an opportunity to witness You in all Your power and glory.
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)
“In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save him from death, and He was heard because of his piety (devotedness to God). Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchezedek” (Hebrews 5:7-10)
“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing…So Abram went forth” (Genesis 12:1-2 and 4a).
“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:8-14).
dianne