Beauty of Sacrifice

This week, the Carnival of Beauty 's theme is : Beauty of Sacrifice.
As I sat pondering this topic of sacrifice, I thought about Christ's sacrifice. This reminded me of an event that happened years ago when I was in college.

During college, I commuted, and when I wasn't on campus for classes I was at home. One day while preparing lunch for myself and my father, I heard a strange noise. As I went to search out the cause of the noise I was dismayed and even a little frightened to find that a bird was making this noise. A bird somehow had gotten itself inside the house and was desperately trying to get out, thru the glass part of the window. That very window had a removable screen in it, so I removed it and propped the window open so it could fly out. But it insisted on staying up above the open part and desparately tried to get out thru the glass. I tried a number of methods of 'shooing' it out. I grabbed a dishtowel and tried to swoosh it out, all the while talking to it, and giving it directions. I went and opened other doors and windows when the bird left that room and tried other avenues of escape. It could see its destination, but doing things its own way led to no avail. I then sat down, tired, and wanting to catch my breath. I thought, if only I could talk birdtalk, I could tell the bird the right way to get out. But I wasn't a bird, so I couldn't tell it which way to go. Finally, after much time had passed it finally flew out the side door.

I thought about how this relates to our spiritual life. We as humans are just like that bird, trapped in our sinfulness, and desperately trying to find our own way. But unlike the bird, we will never on our own make it to safety. Our ways are always fruitless. God in His loving ways, knew that we couldn't be freed on our own. He sent Jesus as our Saviour. He came down from Heaven, and became a man. Jesus, God's Son in human flesh could talk our language. Ultimately He would die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sins so that when we put our trust in Him as Saviour we are given eternal life, and our sins are washed clean.

5 Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7 He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8 And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross. 9 Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil 2:5-11 (NLT)

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NLT)


This is the beauty of sacrifice for me. Jesus dying for me, and for you while we were sinners and providing the way of salvation.
{Copyright 2006-by ampraisingHim; all rights reserved}


The Carnival of Beauty is sponsored by a gracious home.com and hosted this week by Renee at: http://www.childrensclothesetc.com/blog/.