Discussion: Sacrifice is a Necessary Part of Life
Jacqueline B. ~Jackie “Lady J” Miller
April 15, 2022
TODAY is Good Friday…. Members of many Christian denominations observe Good Friday with fasting and services. It serves as a reminder of Jesus's sacrificial death on the cross. The Sacrifice that was made to save humankind so that a world dying because of sin could live because of the SACRIFICE.
What are you willing to SACRIFICE so that your dreams, goals, and aspirations can live and prosper?
The word sacrifice can sometimes unjustly have negative overtones, but they aren’t true. Sacrifice is the conscious act of prioritization and discipline. Since we don’t always have the time or space in our lives to accommodate all the things we would like; SACRIFICE is initiated to achieve a specific goal.
Have you ever heard the statement “You have to lose some to gain some”? Well, sometimes this is very true and inevitable. You will undoubtedly have to make many sacrifices throughout your life to achieve the goals you set for yourself or your family.
When your to-do list or your plate is running over, you don’t always have time to think about what is the most important. Never mind actually setting the wheels in motion. Even when you have aspirations, right action is required if you are to manifest the things you really want to achieve in life. You may well need to give up or prioritize certain things that are not so important in the grand scheme of things.
Many aspects of life require us to be intentional in planning what we do and how we live. Be it financial freedom, material possessions, relationships, career and business, social status, or simply that familiar “comfort zone.” We all have a tendency from time to time to languish and drag our feet in. But we have to realize there is no movement without movement.
Sacrifice, much like most things in life, is all about perspective. Your perception of things will directly correlate to your quality of life. So basically, having a healthy attitude of sacrifice will shape your experience of it. Think about it, the perception that we are “losing” or “giving up” something can translate to a feeling of lack or of being left out. This makes you want to focus on what you once had, but now do not. Even if you can’t help but feel you “lost” something, remembering that loss (and or pain) often leads to a lack of learning growth and the ability to persevere.
There are healthy ways to look at sacrifice. To be happy in a relationship, for instance, you will need to sacrifice fear for love, independence for intimacy, resistance for joy, and resentment for forgiveness. To be successful at work, you will need to sacrifice being in control to allow for innovation and sacrifice chronic busyness for genuine success (by the way, this is my struggle; I suffer from chronic busyness). Healthy sacrifice helps you to let go of what does not really work in order to embrace what works.
So, ask yourself, how much unhealthy sacrifice am I operating in right now? Sometimes the habit of unhealthy sacrifice is so unconscious we are the last to recognize it in ourselves. What would you be willing to give up that is unhealthy sacrifice in order to shift your life and experience greater love, joy, peace, success, and prosperity?
What and who you will sacrifice can determine your level of success in life. Sometimes our next level requires us to let some things or people go. You simply can’t take everyone with you. Subconsciously, you already know who and what is going to hold you back.
It also helps to remember that life is not only about winning. It never was and never will be, since life isn’t a competition or a race. We can never truly predict outcomes. Besides, we can only determine the most workable direction and go with the flow, while taking positive steps towards our goals. Therefore, it makes sense to be clear on what is the most valuable to us in life. Honestly assessing what is holding us back and then finding the strength to let those things go. This is the behavior that will propel you towards your ultimate vision and goals.
What are some areas you will sacrifice in your life? Family, love, work, health, social and finance are usually the overall categories.
Before we go any further, I can’t help but point out, making sacrifices that affect other people is one of the hardest to navigate. Regardless of whether we like it, the people closest to us have the biggest expectations of us (to some extent, at least) and vice versa. We like to think that those who want the best for us will understand that sometimes we have to prioritize other things. But it can still be hard to let people down, especially when they are depending on you (some even for their livelihood).
Social sacrifice is one example that I’m sure we all have struggled with at some point or may still deal with. Social sacrifice might be missing out on an exciting event like movies with your crew because you need to put the study time in before an exam. No matter how tempting the invitation is, you know it’s not really worth it. Nor can you afford the poor grade you could receive as a result of not studying, so you make the sacrifice.
Your sacrifice might be something as simple as turning down a night out dancing because it’s a weeknight. Or you have an early meeting on that new job you prayed for that is now paying the bills! Or skipping that lunch date to go to the gym (or work out at home) because your health and fitness is the priority.
Sometimes it’s very hard to say no. We may worry that saying ‘no’ will make us less likeable, popular or that you might lose friends that result in you not receiving future invites. However, anyone who genuinely respects and likes you recognizes that sometimes you have to stay on track with important goals or objectives.
Jesus made the best, ideal, greatest, supreme, paramount, highest, unsurpassed, unrivalled, topmost, utmost, optimum, quintessential, ultimate sacrifice with his life to achieve and obtain the most valuable reward -YOU!!!
And YOU… Yes, you have to make the sacrifices needed to achieve and complete what you need to get done. No one else can or will do it for you. So don’t feel guilty or pressured when you have to say “I can’t or simply NO”
Only you can determine if what you are sacrificing is necessary and worth it!
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” ~Henry David Thoreau
Thank you for joining me for Friday at Sundown. Remember… Just Breathe!
VICTORIA ORENZE - I'M THE SACRIFICE – YouTube
(9) VICTORIA ORENZE - I'M THE SACRIFICE - YouTube
(Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music in this video)
About the Writer:
Jacqueline B. Miller “Lady J“ is a creative; energetic multi-faceted Woman of God. As an ordained Minister of the Gospel, a Marriage Coach, Life Coach, Writer, Published Author and Virtual talk show host and personality you will find that she has a servant’s heart. Her life’s loves are found within her being a wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. Though life has been traumatic at times she has endured and has learned to “Wait” on the Lord, who is her strength and to praise God in the midst of the storms.
CONTACT: Jacqueline B. ~Jackie “Lady J” Miller
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Lady J
...."Don't allow your past to rob you of your future" …I can do all thigs through Christ who strengthens me…Philippians 4:13
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