a word about "sacrifice"

A moralistic society notes sacrifice as something we do for someone else that provides them something we value with no expectation from them in return. Memorial Day was a day we note the "sacrifice" others have made through the years for our freedom by giving their lives in war. Certainly people serving others by risking their lives  is always admirable. However, if we look at sacrifice as it is generally practiced, their seems to be a sense of the giver that the receiver is obligated to respond to the giver in some way. Further, when we speak of sacrifice we generally hold the view that what we give is ours (a possession) to give based on our own discretion.

Historically, sacrifice meant giving something of value to appease a god. All religions of the world have this notion that "god(s)" need to be happy with us and to keep them happy, we need to "sacrifice" to them. Interesting how this view of sacrifice has crept into the Gospel of Grace. We speak about "sacrificial giving" for instance as if we are giving something to God (via the church usually) from what we own to satisfy some obligation to Him (or His church) for being included.

The irony of the way we view sacrifice is that what we give (including our life) is not our own and the Gospel of Grace carries with it no obligation (unmerited favor). So, when we make sense of sacrifice through a carnal mind, we again lose the understanding of grace. The Kingdom mind says we cannot sacrifice anything because we own nothing - everything we have is "on loan" to us by God Himself (real meaning of stewardship).

"As to every man God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor - this is the gift of God."  Ecclesiastes 5: 19

Secondly, the Kingdom mind knows that appeasing God for things that displease Him has already been taken care of by the Cross.

I was always amused at church campaigns on sacrificial giving and how these messages distorted the very message of the Gospel. I wondered, "how is giving something of no eternal value for something of eternal value a sacrifice?"

So what do we really mean when we say "we sacrificed" this or that?  Something to think about :-)