You Can Have This, Not That

“But the king replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.'” ~2 Samuel 24:24

India.Arie has a song called “Long Goodbye.” This song talks about the difficult course that a relationship has taken, it talks about the relationship being one-sided at one point and then her ending up in a place where she was just completely lacking peace. It talks, essentially, about the internal battle that goes on when we KNOW that we’re supposed to let a relationship go, but we don’t really want to let go.  But there is one particular line in this song that sticks out. India sings, “And maybe I could learn to fall for someone who could give me all the things I’m not afraid to lose.” That line is particularly applicable to today’s scripture.

I think that we often give God “sacrifices” that mean nothing to us. Some of us have no problem tithing our money, as long as we don’t have to tithe our time and talents to God. Others have no problem “sacrificing” our time on Sundays as long as we don’t have to sacrifice our lifestyle that is contrary to what God requires. Some of us have no problem falling in line with God’s desire for marriage before sex as long as we don’t have to submit to a husband (for the ladies) or love my wife as Christ loves the church (for the fellahs); because that’s just asking too much. We all have those things that don’t really mean much for us to “sacrifice,” and so we offer that to God so that we can have bragging rights to talk about how much we’ve tithed or how we go to church every Sunday (although we live like hell Monday-Saturday); or so we can brag about how we “did it the right way” and waited for marriage to have sex; but the HARD TRUTH is that if it doesn’t hurt, then it’s not a sacrifice! One definition of sacrifice says, “the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.”

So what this verse is asking is, “Are we REALLY sacrificing?” And if not, WHY NOT?! Is it fear? Perhaps like the song says, we’re just afraid to lose some things. We’re afraid to give up our own will for God’s because we don’t know where that will lead us. Perhaps we’re afraid to submit to a husband because he might abuse his position as head of the house or because we’re afraid our friends will look at us like we’re crazy for submitting. Maybe we’re afraid to begin tithing our money because we don’t think we’ll have enough to pay our bills. Maybe we’re afraid to exchange our unsavory lifestyle that we’ve always lived for the one that God requires of us because it will just be too difficult or because all we know is what we’ve been doing, so we stick with the familiar. But the fact of the matter is, our GREATEST blessing–that is SALVATION– came from the most agonizing sacrifice. Christ not only died for our salvation, but he died a cursed and tormented death even though he was completely innocent! Without THAT sacrifice, we wouldn’t have our most precious gift! What has proven to be true in life is that often the sweetest victories come after the most difficult battles.

The fact is, until we TRULY begin to sacrifice those things and areas in our lives that we’re afraid to lose, we will never know the depth of God’s power and the true reach of God’s love, grace and mercy! So, stop taking the easy way out; be determined to not offer anything to God unless it costs you something. Stop offering what YOU want to offer Him and start offering Him what HE is requesting from you.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”~2 Timothy 1:7

Bless God & God Bless

THE Writer’s Pen, Angel

a.k.a. Angelique

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