Consideration Requires Sacrifice

consideration - Consideration Requires Sacrifice

It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35, NIV

Love is not real love without sacrifice, without giving of oneself. Our lives would be empty had not God provided us an example of sacrificial love when He gave up His own Son for us. He made the ultimate sacrifice in our behalf, also providing us with an example of the blessing we receive in giving.

Receiving is where the human focus tends to be. Each of us has about us a measure of the Prodigal Son’s self-centered perspective of “Give me!” (Luke 15:12). Such focus can be related to the fear that “unless I look after me, no one will.” But embracing the gospel truth of God’s sacrificial love can free me from such fear. It assures me that someone is looking out after me, and it’s God! Such sacrificial love is contagious.

But what does our sacrificial love entail? To genuinely give consideration to another’s ideas, feelings, and needs, I (David) must be willing to lay aside my own. Many times I’ve asked Teresa how she wants to spend a free afternoon, hoping all the while that we would do what I wanted. Not exactly showing real consideration, is it?

Focusing on another’s needs requires sacrifice, but it can also bring inexpressible joy. It gives God the opportunity to bring forth the greater blessing that comes when we give of ourselves.

Giving consideration does not mean that I can’t have ideas, feelings, and needs of my own. But I know that God will look after me as I put my spouse’s desires ahead of my own. God can be trusted to take what I have given, press it down, shake it together, and give it back to me overflowing (Luke 6:38)!

In what ways can you lovingly consider your spouse’s desires over your own today?