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"Spiritual Martyrdom - Part IV" Daniel Valles Remember, just like our dying to self, our physical bodies will erode away one day; so, we should make best of what little time we have. Luke 12:15 says, "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth" What is our earthly life that we should live for ourselves? Since we can take anything with us, why should we devote our time to them. Living for Jesus brings it's own rewards: the best ones that He can give us are not tangible. What better reward would there be than to get to Heaven, and have Jesus say, "...Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things." (Luke 12:19). This verse also tells us that Jesus knows we should not consume our time with abundance of goods. He knows full well that we can handle small amounts. Next, self-sacrifice involves a cost. What do you think sacrifice means? II Sam. 24:24 says, "And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but 1 will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing." In this verse, Araunah had offered David animals to sacrifice. But, David knew what should be done. You see, when there's a sacrifice, it gives it meaning. It's something that you had to part with, something which may have been very precious to you. A cheap sacrifice is exactly that! It's cheap! If we only give God a little bit of our time, without it cutting into our schedule, or doing it only when its convenient, it devalues the sacrifice. continued... |
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