Learn what you need,share what you know. Change is fundamentally about sacrifice. Whether it's choosing chocolate ice cream or vanilla, when we decide on a course of action we sacrifice alternative options.

Faced with climate instability and the social and political turmoil that will result in "staying the course", most everyone who visit,world vision ministries international. has already decided to participate in the change that will lessen the damage.

But are we really willing to make the sacrifices needed to achieve the goal?

As the debate about off-shore drilling again returns to the national spotlight, I recognize that for many families the price of gas is seriously impacting their stability, happiness, and opportunity. Though I know with great certainty that the crutch of expanded oil exploration won't help ease their financial (and too often emotional) pain, by opposing the oil rigs I am asking others to make an emotional sacrifice. I'm asking them, those still addicted to oil, to suck it up and change their lifestyle. That is a painful sacrifice for most people.

My lifestyle requires very little gasoline, but I'm not blind to the fact I am unique in this perspective, relatively speaking. Many of the actions on this that I have agreed to aren't really painful sacrifices, most actually enhance my happiness. But how ethical is it to ask others to suffer more than I am willing to suffer?

So my question for this discussion is this, what are you willing to give up, what painful sacrifice (emotionally) are you willing to agree to in order to put skin into the game?Change is fundamentally about sacrifice. Whether it's choosing chocolate ice cream or vanilla, when we decide on a course of action we sacrifice alternative options.

Faced with climate instability and the social and political turmoil that will result in "staying the course", most everyone who visits Celsias has already decided to participate in the change that will lessen the damage.

But are we really willing to make the sacrifices needed to achieve the goal?

As the debate about off-shore drilling again returns to the national spotlight, I recognize that for many families the price of gas is seriously impacting their stability, happiness, and opportunity. Though I know with great certainty that the crutch of expanded oil exploration won't help ease their financial (and too often emotional) pain, by opposing the oil rigs I am asking others to make an emotional sacrifice. I'm asking them, those still addicted to oil, to suck it up and change their lifestyle. That is a painful sacrifice for most people.

My lifestyle requires very little gasoline, but I'm not blind to the fact I am unique in this perspective, relatively speaking. Many of the actions on this website that I have agreed to aren't really painful sacrifices, most actually enhance my happiness. But how ethical is it to ask others to suffer more than I am willing to suffer?

So my question for this discussion is this, what are you willing to give up, what painful sacrifice (emotionally) are you willing to agree to in order to put skin into the game?
Sooner than you realize, once again we will witness that uniquely American event called the Presidential Election. A number of men and perhaps some women will spend a lot of energy and money trying to become the President.

These hopefuls will be very creative in their efforts to get positive media coverage. Nothing is more valuable or more cherished than an unique photo opportunity. To get a fifteen second sound bite on national network news is pure political gold. A candidate will go anywhere and do anything for an exceptional photo opportunity. So we will watch the hopefuls pretending to do things that they never did before in the attempt to identify with the American public.

But it is just a photo opportunity. That is all it is. He or she has never done that job. He or she never intends to be in that situation. The only reason he or she is there is to get fifteen seconds of recognition on the news. The candidates are looking for a way to declare, "I identify with you people. I am one of you. That is why you should vote for me."

God does not use photo opportunities. God never manipulates our perceptions with fifteen second sound bites. God identified with us on the deepest level of existence. God challenges us to identify with Him on the deepest level of existence.

For thousands of years, the inferior sacrificed to the superior; people offered animal sacrifices to God.
One of the more common sacrifices offered to God was a lamb.
Through sacrifice, the lamb became the symbol of sacrifice.
A man named Abel made the first animal sacrifice to God; he killed a sheep as an act of worship, and God was pleased (Genesis 4:2-7).
Often the Israelites were commanded to sacrifice a lamb.
Leviticus 1:1-9 gave specific instructions for offering an animal as a sacrifice of burnt offering to atone for sin.
You had to own the animal you killed.
The animal had to come from your best--it could not be sick or crippled.
The man brought the animal to the Tabernacle, and he placed his hands on the head of the animal to transfer his sin and guilt to the animal.
The priest then killed the animal.
The blood was offered to God.
The carcass was butchered and burned.
If the animal was a sheep, it had to be a male without any defects.
At times the offering of choice was a lamb a year old.
On the night that God freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, every family offered a lamb (Exodus 12:21-28).
The lamb's blood was smeared around the door to protect them from death.
They were dressed to travel when they ate the lamb in anticipation of their deliverance.
Every year after that on the same date, the Israelites gathered for the holiest day of their year.
On that day they remembered God's deliverance by sacrificing and eating a lamb.
Numbers 28:3-8 instructed Israel as a nation to sacrifice one lamb every morning, and one lamb every evening at sunset.
On the Sabbath day, or Saturday, they offered four lambs (Numbers 28:9,10).
On the first day of every month, the nation offered special sacrifices (Numbers 28:11).
Among the animals sacrificed were seven lambs.
During the days of the feasts of Passover and Unleaven Bread, the nation offered special animal sacrifices (Numbers 28:19).
Those sacrifices included seven lambs.
On the day of Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks, the nation offered special animal sacrifices.
Those sacrifices included seven lambs (Numbers 28:27).
In the seventh month, the nation offered special animal sacrifices (Numbers 29).
In addition to the other animals offered, 119 lambs were sacrificed from the first through the fifteenth of the month.
In the nation of Israel, the lamb became the symbol of sacrifice.

How would you introduce the Son of the living God?
This is the mighty God, the God who gives life, the creator God who brought everything into existence, the God who protects and preserves His people.
What would be the appropriate introduction for the Son of this mighty God?
How should he be honored?
John the baptizer was born for the specific purpose of introducing Jesus.
When he saw Jesus coming to him, he did not say:
"Behold, God's mighty arm!"
"Behold, God's King of kings!"
"Behold, God's great conqueror who will defeat Satan!"
"Behold, God's great spokesman!"
Just before Jesus began his ministry, John introduced Jesus by declaring, "Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
God let His son be placed on an altar made in the form of a splintered cross, and allowed him to die for our sins, just like a sin offering.
The God who had been worshipped by sacrifice for thousands of years gave a sacrifice, a special lamb without any defect.
Peter cautioned us not to forget that we were redeemed with the precious blood of God's lamb, the blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:19).
When John looked into heaven and saw God's throne, he saw Jesus standing as a sacrificed lamb, and he heard thousands and thousands of angels shouting, "Worthy is the Lamb" (Revelation 5:6,11,12)

God's sacrificed Lamb calls to all who have life in him to sacrifice as God sacrificed.
No words express this call as dramatically as does Paul's statement in Romans:
Realizing all that God did to make it possible for you to be His own people (chapter 11), "I urge you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (12:1)
Permit me to state what Paul said in very simple terms.
Each day of your life, take your body and crawl on God's altar.
Keep your body on God's altar all day.
Everything you do, do as God's living sacrifice.
In every relationship and circumstance of life, be God's living sacrifice.
Husbands, be God's living sacrifice in your marriage.
Wives, be God's living sacrifice in your marriage.
Parents, be God's living sacrifice as you love and care for your children.
Children, be God's living sacrifice as you care for your parents.
On your jobs, be God's living sacrifice.
In school, be God's living sacrifice.
In your leisure time, be God's living sacrifice.
As you deal with people in every context, be God's living sacrifice.
Whatever you do, wherever you go, whatever your circumstances, never forget, "I placed my body on the altar this morning--I am His sacrifice."
Paul said to do that, we must have some basic understandings (Romans 12:2).
If our living body is given to God in sacrifice, God defines who and what we are; the ungodly world never defines who and what we are.
If we are God's living sacrifice, we permit God to completely change us, in the same way that a caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly.
That change can happen only if we allow God to develop within us a new mind, which includes a new way of thinking.
That change happens only if we are personally committed to discovering God's good, acceptable, and perfect will for our bodies.
What will be the end result?
The end result will be a sacrifice that exists to honor and worship God.
The way I live in and use my body will honor and worship God each day all day every day.
Public worship occurs in assemblies like this to honor God.
Private worship occurs in the way my body honors God every minute of every day.
God's own Son was God's sacrifice.
When we place our bodies on God's altar, we join God's Son on the altar.
There is no better place; there is no better altar.

Once Paul was raising funds from non-Jewish Christians to send relief to Jewish Christians who were starving (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).
Some very poor Christians gathered an incredibly generous gift to give.
Paul knew their poverty.
He knew that they had given much more than they could afford to give.
He almost refused to take their gift, but they begged him to accept it.
Then Paul clearly realized what had happened.
Before the need for the gift existed, they gave themselves to the Lord.
Because they had given themselves to the Lord, they gave themselves to Paul by the will of God.
With all my heart, I want you to realize the importance of placing your body on God's altar every day.
I want you to make that firm, solid decision as your personal choice.
Whatever happens on any day, you never forget that your body exists to honor God.
When you do that, God uses you in ways that you cannot imagine to accomplish things for Him that you never thought possible.
On Sunday, June 7, we take a special collection to begin a building fund.
These funds will be used in the next year or year and a half to produce facilities that we genuinely need.
Buildings are nothing but tools.
We need these tools to teach, influence, and help people.
If we do as much of the renovation work as possible, and if we contribute generously, we can significantly reduce the amount of money we must borrow.
We need at least a million dollars; we want to borrow as little of that as possible.
We want to use as much of our money as possible to teach and to help people.
We want to use as little of our money as possible for interest payments.
"Preacher, don't you realize that you are doing this all wrong. You need time, you need a well organized campaign, you need all kinds of preparation to raise big money." Yes, I understand that "we are doing this all wrong." But we have an immediate need, and we have very little time.

So let me share with you what I believe. I believe that every Christian man or woman in this congregation who is God's living sacrifice will do what he or she can do. I believe this Christian will do what he or she can do because he or she has placed self on God's altar.

This Christian will do what he or she can do because we all understand that our real goal is to help people. When we do all that we can do, we have done what can be done. And whatever that is, it will be enough. So all I ask you to do is what you are able to do.

God sent His own Son as a Lamb. He let Him be sacrificed to us. When we participate in His death, burial, and resurrection through baptism, our guilt is placed on Jesus Christ. Through His blood we have atonement. We stand in God's eyes as forgiven. growing in my SACRIFICE
Romans 12:1

Given the title of this chapter, I'm surprised that you are reading it. Who wants to grow in sacrifice?

It brings to mind the old story of the pig and chicken who met a poor, hungry man. The pig said, "We ought to do something to help that poor guy."

"Why don't we give him a ham and egg breakfast?" the chicken suggested.

"That's easy for you to say," the pig responded. "For you it is a generous contribution, but for me it is a personal sacrifice!"

The pig has a point. Who wants to grow in sacrifice? Nearly everyone wants to grow in dependence, knowledge, commitment, prayers, and fellowship… but sacrifice?

On the other hand, if we are serious about growing with Christ, we will certainly have to grow in our sacrifice. Nearly everybody knows and loves John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." But a companion verse, 1 John 3:16 carries the same thought one step further, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."

Some wise man has said, "The four most important words in the English language are I, me, mine and money." Sacrifice is something most people avoid if they can, perform if they must, and brag about forever.

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who buy fur coats and those who buy firewood. The first seek to warm themselves; the second seek to warm others. The first comes into a room and says, "Well, here I am!" The second comes in and says, "Ah, there you are."

Self-Centeredness
Self-centeredness is the religion of our age. Its Bible is the sales catalogue; its temple is the shopping mall; its high priests are advertising executives; and its creed is "please yourself."

Consumer mentality may be good when deciding between brands of toothpaste or wall paint, but it is fatal as a philosophy of life. It destroys life's most valuable relationships.

Self-centeredness destroys marital relationships. The only difference between a marital relationship and a martial relationship is a misplaced "I." The same misplaced "I" will turn a united home into an untied home. In a futile effort at fairness husbands and wives try to balance their equally self-centered interests. It usually ends with the husband telling the wife what to do and the wife telling the husband where to go. Self-centeredness turns holy wedlock into unholy deadlock.

Self-centeredness destroys civic relationships. Some voters swing to the right and others swing to the left, but most are self-centered. They evaluate every law and governmental action by how it benefits them personally. President John Kennedy called attention to this in his famous speech when he said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

Self-centeredness destroys divine relationships. Ever since the garden of Eden mankind has been arguing with God whether it is "My will be done" or "Thy will be done." Grammarian C. S. Lewis said that man was created to be an adjective, but is sinfully trying to be a noun. God cannot possess the self-possessed.

Self-centeredness just doesn't work as a philosophy of life. The problem is self-seekers never find themselves. Jesus said, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 16:24-25). People who live by themselves and for themselves are likely to be corrupted by the company they keep.

Christians know all that, but their minds have been so corrupted by the spirit of the age that they continue to talk the talk while they no longer walk the walk or live the life.

We are like the Romeo who wrote to his Juliet, "I would climb the most rugged and precipitous mountain to see the light of your eyes. I would swim any body of water far wilder and wider than the Hellespont to sit at your side. I would go through tempests and torrential rains to sit at your feet. Yours forever. P.S. See you tomorrow night if it doesn't rain."

You fool yourself, but not your Lord when you sing:

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord
Real service is what I desire;
I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord —
But please don't ask me to sing in the choir.
I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord,
I'd like to see things come to pass;
Don't ask me to teach girls and boys, dear Lord —
I'd rather just stay in my class.
I'll do what you want me to do, dear Lord,
I yearn for thy kingdom to thrive,
I'll give you my nickels and dimes, dear Lord —
But please don't ask me to tithe.
I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,
I'll say what you want me to say;
I'm busy just now with myself, dear Lord —
I'll help you some other day.

Your problem is not weak will power; it is strong won't power. God can't have his way while you are in the way.

Are you flirting with Christ or following him? Flirtation is attention without intention. A flirt is someone who wants all the excitement of a relationship with none of the responsibilities. Do you want the candy and flowers of salvation, but not the loyal devotion of self-sacrifice? Do you want the crown, but not the cross? If so, then you are not following Christ. You're just flirting with him.

Self-Sacrifice
The polar opposite of the self-centered religion of our age is the self-sacrifice of the religion of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote to the Romans, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

We are motivated by mercy. It is the mercy of God, not the fear of God that moves us to sacrificial love. The big "therefore" in the first verse of chapter twelve looks back to the first eleven chapters of Paul's epistle to the Romans. It marks the transition from the doctrinal to the ethical, from the theological to the practical, from what Christians believe to how they behave.

Paul begins the book of Romans by observing the condemnation of the whole world in sin (1-3:20). Then he announces justification by faith in the finished work of Christ (3:21-5:21). Then he declares sanctification and renewal through union with Christ (6-8). Finally, he vindicates God's dealing with Israel's rejection of the Messiah (9-11). His theme through it all is the mercies of God. We are motivated by mercy.

We would not work our souls to save
For that the Lord hath done.
But we would work like any slave
For the love of God's dear Son.
We are motivated by the mercies of God to present our bodies, not just our hearts or souls, as a sacrifice. Christian life is physical as well a spiritual. You can't give Christ control of your heart unless you also give him control of your body.

I have heard people say, "It's my body. I have the right to do anything with it I want, don't I?" Usually they are saying it in reference to drugs, tobacco, sex and abortion.

I'm telling you on the authority of God's word, No, it is not your body. And you don't have the right to abuse it or misuse it. Paul asks, "Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

God wants your body as a sacrifice. The Romans knew all about sacrifices. They had seen the blood, heard the death cries of victims, and smelled the burning flesh. But this is sacrifice with a difference — not an animal but yourself, not a dead corpse but a living body.

Invited to a beer party, a Christian girl responded, "I'm dead and cannot come." That's the attitude of Paul who said, "I am crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

The hardest funeral you'll ever attend is your own — when you die to self.

When asked to undertake responsibilities which interfere with their own self-interests, many people respond, "I don't want to be tied down." Christians, on the other hand, are not just "tied down," they are nailed down — to the cross.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice." A religion that does nothing, gives nothing, costs nothing, suffers nothing is worth nothing. Nothing left loose does anything creative. No work horse plowed a field until it was harnessed. No steam or gas drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is turned into light and power until it is channeled. No life grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.

Montaigne observed, "It is easier to sacrifice great things than little things." To give your life for Christ appears glorious. To pour yourself out for others, to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom and go out in a blaze of glory is heroically appealing. But that is not the way it usually works.

You think that giving your all to the Lord is like laying a $l,000 bill on the table and saying, "That's it, Lord. Here's my life. I'm giving it all." That would be comparatively easy. But what usually happens is that the Lord sends you to the bank and has you turn the $l,000 bill into quarters. Then you go though life sacrificing two bits at a time. Nothing heroic, just everyday drudgery.

It would be easier to go out in a flash of glory; it's much harder to live the Christian life little by little. You bless someone who curses you. You do good to someone who has done you evil. You go the second mile with someone who has compelled you to go the first.

Self-sacrifice is a gift. During the second world war a soldier was seriously wounded in battle. When he awakened in the field hospital the doctor said, "It's all right, kid. You're going to get well. But I'm afraid you've lost your arm."

The soldier smiled, and in a faint voice, replied, "I didn't lose my arm — I gave it."

Give your bodies as a living sacrifice. Those who give up are quitters. Those who give over are cowards. Those who give out are weaklings. Those who give in are compromisers. But those who give all they are and have on the Lord's altar of sacrifice and service make this world a better place because they have lived in it and heaven more beautiful and enjoyable because they are there.

Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service — nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.

How much are you willing to sacrifice in order to reach your goals?

Many of the goals that you set for yourself will not be easy to achieve without some degree of sacrifice on your part. You might have a goal of improving your physical fitness but that is going to be very difficult to achieve if you cannot make the sacrifice of sticking to a healthy eating plan and exercising regularly.

It is very easy to make excuses as to why you cannot achieve your goals but often times it comes down to the fact that you were not able to make the necessary sacrifices.

Last night I was watching the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter and could not help but think that the fighter eliminated in the first episode is not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to reach his goal of being in the UFC. Since being eliminated, Joe Scarola has been whining about how he wants to go home and be with his girlfriend. Chances are that those thoughts were in his mind as he was being submitted during his fight as well.

If you give up on your goals at the first sign of adversity, you are going to have a very difficult time achieving any of your goals.

Tonight I was chatting with a friend of mine about an old project that we had been working on but put on the shelf when we did not achieve the results we had been hoping for in the beginning. As we were talking about this project we questioned how much we would have to do in order to resurrect this project and get it to where we need to be.

Our initial thought is that we can each spend approximately two hours per night working on this project and get it hammered out in about two weeks.

Is it going to be easy to do? Not by a long shot.

Between my day job, blogging and the time I like to spend with my family it will be hard to set aside two hours each night. In order to achieve this goal I will be required to sacrifice some of the time I spend each night reading and commenting on other blogs, working on my own blogs and maybe even some of my play time with the kids.

I’m at a point where I need to decide if I truly believe in this project and the goal that we have. If I do believe in the goal then I need to commit to making the sacrifices necessary to provide the two hours per night to work on this project. Time will tell if I can follow through as it is easier to say you will make the sacrifices than it is to actually make the sacrifices.

Take a look at your own goals and honestly evaluate whether or not you are willing to sacrifice in order to reach your goals.

Would you rather “veg” in front of the TV as the season premiers kick off or do you want to work towards your goals? Do you want to go out with your friends on Friday night or do you want to work towards your goals? Is that burger and Coke more important than your goals?

The sacrifices you need to make will be dependent on your goals but when the rubber meets the road, you need to decide what is more important to you.
1-samuel 15 verse 22
This morning I'm wondering how many Christians out there are doing what they do because they believe it is a sacrifice to the Lord, but are in fact living in disobedience. I wonder how many people have been called to africa,north,south,central america,haiti, jamaice,dominican republic,and so on and have said in their hearts, "Lord, I don't really want to do that, so how about I volunteer to do Sunday School instead?"

The numbers may be small, but given what I know about my nature as a sinful man I wouldn't be surprised if they were great. All these people everywhere sacrificing instead of obeying.

Its interesting to see some of the other things that are quoted as better than sacrifice too, for example take a look at these:

"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil." - Ecclesiastes 5:1

"For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." - Hosea 6:6

"Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." - Matthew 9:13

"And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless." - Matthew 12:7

"And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." - Mark 12:33.

Personal story

When I was younger, I realized that I couldn’t have everything I wanted immediately. Instead, I knew I had to work as hard as I could for the future. During my sophomores year of College, I told myself “it’s going to be near impossible to get a job in marketing when I graduate.” My solution during this time was to sacrifice part of my College experience for the good of my career. Within four years, I had 8 internships in various areas of marketing, working at enterprises and small firms.

Part of the reason for taking on this volume of internships was to get a diversified foundation in marketing and to learn about what aspects of marketing I enjoyed the most. Two of my internships were unpaid, but I did them anyways because I realized that I had to sacrifice compensation for experience in order to get the job I wanted when I graduated.

“Leverage” is the keyword

One of the main reasons why you have to sacrifice is because of the infamous word “leverage.” Here are a few situations, where you have to have a track record in order to make good money:

Want to publish a book? You will make little to no money on your first one because the publisher has the leverage (channels of distribution and money) and you are an unknown author, who hasn’t sold a book. Once you’ve hit New York Times bestseller stardom, then you can have more leverage for the next book because you’ve proven your worth and that your name can sell.
Want to get a job? Then get an internship or two or ten! The only way you can get a job without an internship is with a personal contact. Employers want to see work experience and trust me, it trumps any school you go to. Hiring managers want to eliminate risk, so they would rather higher someone who has already completed projects similar to what they are hiring for.
Want to start your own business? Well good luck because venture capitalists want to see your business success record. They would love to lend their money to an entrepreneur that sold his or her last business for $200 million instead of some random person with an idea. That isn’t to say you should give up hope, but rather harvest your ideas and align yourself with successful entrepreneurs that can push your business forward.
Want to be a famous musician? Well, just like the publishing industry, you will make almost nothing on your first album. You better concentrate on concerts, just like authors should with speaking engagements. That is the only way you will be funding your life during a time where you have no leverage. Once you build up a cult following and sell a million records, you won’t have to worry about ACTUALLY purchasing that 5 karat diamond, instead of renting one.
They say “pay your dues,” well they’re right!

Everyone has heard, at some point of their life, that you need to “pay your dues.” Honestly, you really do until you have a lot of resources and past successes. People negotiate higher wages and benefit packages based on previous successes. You need to make people dependent on you because when that happens, you have the negotiating power and can demand more from everyone. So many people complain that they are getting paid so little, yet they don’t put 110% into their work. You get out what you put in, so be sure to put in a lot if you want to have leverage in the futur


Sacrifice and Success Go Hand in Hand

Written by Sammy D. on August 10, 2000 nassau bahamas
I once heard a saying that went something like this: �the most successful people on this Earth also suffered the most.� I guess that statement will mean different things for different entrepreneurs. Success will always remain in the eyes of the beholder and it can come in many different shapes, forms, and sizes.

To say that there was only one type of success would be to say that Bill Gates and Gandhi are one in the same. Each triumphed with different forms of success. The two can�t even be compared (re: their journeys to success).

But in order to show the correlation between success and sacrifice, we can take a look at men of great success and see how sacrifice was an integral part of their feats — their glory.

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, sacrificed the chance to obtain a degree from the top Ivy League university in the world. He was attending Harvard University before leaving to devote all his time to building Microsoft.

Gates, knowing that his time would be better spent focusing on building his dream company, took a leave of absence never to return, and pushed forward with his ambitions.

His sacrifice lead to building the number one software company in the world, subsequently becomes the world�s richest man.

Mahatma Gandhi, liberator of India, spiritual leader, and leader of Indian National Congress, lived a life fighting to protect the rights, freedom, and happiness of the people of India.

Upon returning home after campaigning against South Africa�s racist ideals and helping to bring about change in the region, he returned home to India and devoted the remainder of his life to fighting poverty, instilling pride and happiness in the hearts of all India�s inhabitants (regardless of race or religion), and most notably, attaining autonomy from the British Empire.

Throughout Gandhis life, he was imprisoned for many years, beaten, and eventually murdered. Through is non-violent and non-confrontation movements, he made the ultimate sacrifice by showing the world that he didn,t have to physically fight in order to bring about change.

His journey to success embodies a life of selflessness, devotion to his people, and a rare determination of immense courage and persistence. His ultimate sacrifice was perhaps his greatest — his life.

And lastly, Roman Emperor Augustus, formerly known as Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus or Gaius Octavius. Upon the brutal murder of his uncle Julius Caesar in 44 BC, Octavian had a decision to make: to try and live a life of peace and renounce his inheritance from his uncle to become Emperor and protector of Rome or to challenge his enemies who sought to neutralize his position and keep him off the road of politics — essentially, stopping him from accepting his uncles will.

So in 44 BC at the age of 19 years old he decided to raise an army of roughly 10,000 strong to fight his enemy Mark Anthony in Gaul (France). His victory over Marc Anthony led to several more critical wins during a time of unrest and civil war in Rome.

His decision to sacrifice a life of placation and probably personal peace and wealth, lead him to push forward with his political ambitions. His decision was greatly rewarded and led to Augustus becoming the most powerful and respected Roman Empire to ever live.

His contributions brought about 250 years of peace, something never before done in history. His name will on forever.

As you can see, all of these men gave up something — many things — in their pursuit of success. From modern time Bill Gates all the way back to Ancient Rome during Augustus time.

While on your journey to success, always remember that its going to take something to gain something. Nothing will ever simply be given to you. If you want something badly enough, then get it. Take it. Fight for it. And accept the fact that sacrifices will inevitably have to be made in the process.



Spiritual Sacrifices

(Psalms 4:3-5 NKJV) But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him. {4} Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah {5} Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD.

(Psalms 27:4-8 NKJV) One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. {5} For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. {6} And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. {7} Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. {8} When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."

(Psalms 51:10-17 NKJV) Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. {11} Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. {12} Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. {13} Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. {14} Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. {15} O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. {16} For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. {17} The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart; These, O God, You will not despise.

(Psalms 54:4-7 NKJV) Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life. {5} He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth. {6} I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. {7} For He has delivered me out of all trouble; And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.

(Psalms 107:19-22 NKJV) Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. {20} He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. {21} Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! {22} Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing.

(Psalms 116:17-18 NKJV) I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the LORD. {18} I will pay my vows to the LORD Now in the presence of all His people,

(Proverbs 15:8 NKJV) The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.

(Proverbs 21:3 NKJV) To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

(Isaiah 56:4-7 NKJV) For thus says the LORD: "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, {5} Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off. {6} "Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants; Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant; {7} Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."

(Ezekiel 44:30 NKJV) "The best of all firstfruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest's; also you shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, to cause a blessing to rest on your house.

(Hosea 6:6 NKJV) For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

(Hosea 14:2 NKJV) Take words with you, And return to the LORD. Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.

(Jonah 2:7-9 NKJV) "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple. {8} "Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. {9} But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD."

(Matthew 9:11-13 NKJV) And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" {12} When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. {13} "But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

(Mark 12:29-33 NKJV) Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. {30} 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. {31} "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." {32} So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. {33} "And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

(Romans 12:1-2 NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. {2} And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

(Ephesians 5:1-2 NKJV) Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. {2} And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

(Hebrews 13:15-16 NKJV) Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. {16} But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

(1 Peter 2:1-5 NKJV) Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, {2} as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, {3} if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. {4} Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, {5} you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.Brother and Sisters i love you so much.God bless you.Sammy