TODAY'S VERSE:

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Do you like to give gifts? How about when you give something of yours that you really like to another person? In prep school, we used the example of Pookie Bear. Let’s say your Grandma gave you Pookie Bear when you were a baby and you have had him for years. In fact, you sleep with him every night. You love Pookie Bear a whole lot. One day your baby cousin is over to visit and falls in love with Pookie Bear. When it’s time for her to go home, she looks longingly at him when you take him from her arms. Love says to give your beloved bear to your baby cousin. That’s called sacrificial giving and that giving is motivated by true love. Jesus Christ’s life was a gift and His death a sacrifice. God truly loves us all and Jesus Christ is the proof of that love.

What is a sacrifice? A sacrifice is when you give up something you value for someone else you consider more important. For example, firemen and policemen risk their lives to protect us. They know that someday they may have to give up their lives to save others. People in the military do the same thing and they also know that they are risking their lives to protect us. Our parents sacrifice sleep, comfort, and time for us. Often our grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends do the same! There are many people in our lives who sacrifice for us. Many times we don’t even realize it! However, the greatest sacrifice of all was that of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His mission on earth was mankind’s salvation! He was willing to give up His life for us!

Without His sacrifice for us nothing would matter! We would not be able to have eternal life! God truly loves us all and Jesus Christ is the proof of that love.
 
Hebrews 12:2 Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It’s mind- boggling, or overwhelming, to even try to think of that much love!  God wants to make Himself, His life, and His love known to us. He made us so that we could share His life and bring Him glory. He knew that not everyone would want to do this, but He gives everyone the opportunity to do so. God the Father sent God the Son to earth to be our Savior. God the Son took on a human body so He is 100% man and 100% God. He came to earth to teach us about God the Father and to provide salvation for all mankind!  He died so that we might have life! That is amazing, sacrificial love! God provided eternal life, His life, for us! We can have that eternal life of God by believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior! God wants all mankind to have His eternal life and be with Him forever in Heaven!

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
 
God pours out His true love into believers through God the Holy Spirit. It can be poured into us because of Christ’s sacrificial work of love on the cross. In turn, God wants us to share His love with others.  God has set up a purpose and mission for each believer.

Sometimes sharing God’s love will mean a sacrifice on our part. We know that Jesus Christ had the power of God the Holy Spirit and Scripture to carry Him through His whole, loving, sacrificial life. As believers, we have the same power! We can’t use our own natural power; it won’t work. We need God’s supernatural power!  We love because He first loved us. Knowing God and His love is the only way we will know how to truly love others – God’s way!  When we love God’s way we don’t love someone because of what we get out of it. We love because of what we can give to the other person – with no strings attached!
 
Here’s another example of how we can show sacrificial love. Let’s say that your Grandma lives alone and is lonely. You call her up and ask if you can come for a visit. You set up a time. When you arrive, you see that she could use some help cleaning her kitchen. You were planning on going out to play with your friends, but she really needs the help. This means time for visiting and time for cleaning. You decide to sacrifice the time with your friends so you can help your Grandma. In fact, when you tell your friends, they come over and help too! Then you all go out to play in Grandma’s yard so she can watch the fun. That’s how God works! He looks at our heart and our motivation; if it is self-centered, it is not His true love. If it is thinking of others first, it is motivated by His true love; it is sacrificial love.
 
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Philippians 4:4-5 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
 
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!