The value of personal sacrifice for the Kingdom
Author
Faustino de Jesús Zamora Vargas
Summary: There are many men and women who sacrifice their comfort and safety to spread the message of salvation to other places and nations. Those who obey the call to make sacrifices for the Kingdom are denying themselves and offering the best of their lives to the Lord. Such obedience is rewarded by God, and those who serve Him without expecting applause or recognition will be blessed. We should recognize and bless those who work humbly in our Christian communities and serve the Lord faithfully. The Lord doesn't want sacrifices that don't come from obedience to His Word and faithfulness of heart. When roll is called in heaven, those who have served the Lord faithfully will respond happily when they hear their name.
I feel a deep admiration for the children of God who have a missionary heart and are obedient to the voice of God. How many men and women of God rise up every day to carry the message of salvation to other places and nations! It would be impossible to make a list of so many brothers and sisters who, leaving their comforts, embark on the adventure of evangelization in obedience to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. And others, who without leaving their places of origin, simply take their bread to share it with others.
Personal sacrifice in favor of the Kingdom - when done in obedience - is a way of denying oneself, it is offering the best of life to the Lord without expecting anything, or even at the expense of losing it. And do it with humility, without fuss, as if incognito, as it should be done for the Lord, who sees and knows everything. There are no precise statistics to recognize and honor them, but the Lord does know. As an old hymn says, when there - in heaven - roll is called, they will be able to happily respond to his name.
Nehemiah, chapter 11 tells us about this type of people. Jerusalem was destroyed, completely in ruins. Nobody wanted to live there; life was much better in the nearby towns. Staying in Jerusalem required personal and family sacrifices. Those who stayed would be responsible for rebuilding the city and continuing to build up the people spiritually. One in ten people had to sacrifice for others and stay in ruined Jerusalem to do the work. It was an hour of commitment and obedience. The Lord rewards faithfulness when we obey his call to make some kind of sacrifice for his Kingdom.
How to obey the Lord in a world fragmented by sin, morally and spiritually ruined, at the cost of any loss? Take a spiritual look at your church or Christian community and see how many brothers and sisters work humbly, serve the Lord without expecting applause, pray for the sick and straying, share their joy with the lacking, care for the flock like the best pastor, they deny themselves to affirm the staggering. They are the guardians of the Kingdom and deserve our blessing for their faithfulness, just as the people of Israel, in the times of Nehemiah and Ezra, blessed those who obeyed the call to remain in the holy city by sacrificing themselves for others.
We live to serve the Lord by abiding in him. “He who keeps his commandments abides in him and God in him. And in this we know that He abides in us: by the Spirit that He has given us. (1 Jn 3.24). The Lord does not want sacrifices that do not come from obedience to his Word and from our faithfulness of heart to his call. It does not matter if your service, your resignations, your personal sacrifices for the Kingdom are ignored by men. The Lord knows your heart and will bless you. That when He passes roll one day there in heaven, you can respond happily when you hear your name. "Here I am Lord."
God bless you!
Suggested Reading: Nehemiah 11