Sacrifice

Sacrifice

Don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

WHEN OUR CHILDREN WERE YOUNG, we realized how absorbed they were by all of the gifts that they wanted for Christmas. They would begin making their lists months earlier—sometimes more than a page long, marking down everything that they wanted to receive. Their thoughts were consumed by all the potential gifts, and we realized we needed to make a change to shift their thinking.

We decided that each year our kids would receive three gifts, along with their stockings, but one gift would be something that they would pick out for someone else. We explained to our children that part of sacrifice is sharing with those in need. We ordered catalogs from Christian organizations that shared needs from around the world and offered us ways to help by buying farm animals for families, drilling wells for clean drinking water in communities, or helping kids receive health care services.

The first year we started this new tradition of sacrificing our wants to share with someone else, and every year since, my kids will spend hours scouring the magazines, reading about the needs of others and ways to help. Each of our kids picks their three top needs that they feel are important and then their final choice. After dinner one December evening, we sit and listen to everyone’s top choices and why they picked their final choice. Once they’ve chosen their gifts to give to someone else, we pray over the people who will receive them, asking God to bless our small gift. It has become a favorite tradition, one my kids look forward to each year and has helped them to remain others focused, even while still asking for things that they want.

Often we can think that sacrifice has to be huge or involve suffering in some way, and although sometimes sacrifice is these things, more often than not sacrifice is done in daily, small or simple ways. Anytime we share with those who are in need, anytime we remember the poor and share out of what we’ve been given, that is also a sacrifice. And any sacrifice, big or small, pleases God when we are careful to focus on the needs of others.

Lord, thank you for sacrificing for us. Help us to follow your example and offer up sacrifices, both big and small, by meeting the needs of others. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: Offer a sacrifice to God by meeting the needs of someone else.