Name: Linda
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
In Other Words
“If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor,
how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered
a sacrifice?”
David Livingstone
I’ve struggled a bit with this question. Just when I thought I had my answer all figured out, I would begin to question it all over again. Surely it is an honor to be given a commission by the Heavenly King. I’m going to write my answer with the honest confession that I’m not sure it is the “right” answer.
I keep coming back to the idea that sacrifice is foundational to all that we believe. The first sacrifice was made in the Garden of Eden by God Himself when He killed an animal to provide a covering for Adam and Eve. From that point on, all through the pages of the Old Testament it was the sacrifice – the shedding of blood – that was the requirement for the covering of man’s sin. Then, in the New Testament, the Son of God came to be the sacrifice for all mankind.
In Romans 12 we are told to present our bodies “… a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God…” I think that’s the difference. When an earthly king gives a commission there is usually great recognition and reward as soon as the task is completed. The commission that comes from the Heavenly King is one that involves a dying to self. When we accept His commission we are giving our entire self – all that we are- into His hands for His use. There may be no immediate reward or recognition. We may have to lose much that is valuable in the eyes of the world. We are working toward something that has eternal value. Perhaps we will sacrifice the thing that we believe we desire most to do the thing He has called us to do. We set aside the present reward for the greater one that will some day come to us from the hand of the One we serve.
Psalms 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” I think the commission of the King will always involve a sacrifice – that dying to self that we may have abundant life.
Please go to Laurel's blog to read more writings on this quote.
Blessings,
11 Comments:
Linda,
You did a beautiful job and I agree. Dying to one's self is our commission. WE decrease, HE increases.
I am so glad you participated.
Oh, I love your take on the quote, Linda. I never thought about it this way. You are right, we do need to die to self in order to follow Him and His lead.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this week's quote.
Blessings to you and yours...
Really enjoyed your thoughts on this.
You did a great job with the quote and post Linda. Thank you so much for sharing. You are a great inspiration. I love your banner btw. Much blessings to you this week.
In his endless love,
Angel Mama ():)
I love what you wrote about dying to self.
"We set aside the present reward for the greater one that will some day come to us from the hand of the One we serve."
Amen!
Linda,
I love what you wrote here. It has really made me think about some things. You always have a special way of seeing scripture in a way I might not have thought to see it. Praise God for you!
Well, I think you nailed it, Linda. It's a sacrifice because WE DIE in the commissioning process. And yet...it is an HONOR because we love Him so very much.
Well said, Linda. Blessings!
Amen!! The sacrifice is an honor, yet is still a sacrifice. But, like Jim Elliot said, we are only losing what we cannot keep anyway. ("He is no fool who loses what he cannot keep, in order to gain what he cannot lose.")
Excellent, excellent post. :)
beautiful post and said well. Thank you and God Bless
Once again your thought processes have me in awe. Beautiful.
I remember when my dad was taking a health break from othe pastorate and was selling for Sears - he was a top salesman and Sears offered him a very high position (read lots of money). He told the president that he couldn't take a lower job when he had been called by the King of Kings. That has always stayed with me.
Linda,
This is a great post and your gentle and humble spirit shines through.
I love the verses in Psalm 51. It's our life He wants.
Thank you for all your sweet comments lately!!
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