Tip 59: Sacrifice if you love

Been very busy lately trying to do R.I.C.H. and have been working late and back home only by 10pm to make baby sleep or wake up early 5-6am to play with my daughter. At this point, I am sacrificing my sleep for hopefully a temporary period and not sacrificing yet my ambition as welll as my desire to be a good breadwinner. Thought I would blog about some thoughts gathered when cycling home last night (before it slips my mind) which I believe strongly to be a life changing tip - learnt usually as a daddy or in times of great stress and trial. Sacrifice is key to living and loving! Do we need to sacrifice to prove love? Nope. Love means wanting the best for the other, yearns to give unconditionally and expects no sacrifice. But love also displays itself in ultimate unselfish sacrifice when there is a great need for it or when one is overwhelmed in love and duty. So yes, true and deep love always comes with sacrifice either now or the future. Yet, sacrifice is a miraculous and divine concept that when you give of your all, you sometimes may not lose it. Instead, you gain a divine lesson in love and living if not many other blessings to come. What do you cherish most? Would you sacrifice it in the name of love? There is no need to think of it now, but maybe one day, your love would manifest itself to require sacrifice. Yet, when you give, you gain freedom to live more and love more. Such is love and sacrifice.

Last night during my 25 minute bicycle ride home from office, I was pondering about the lessons I have learnt in this past year. I have grown and matured so much. I was particularly reminded of an encounter with God that I had 15 years ago. Then, I was pondering whether to take up a Christian Fellowship chairman position at school and also retain other committee post in the midst of my studies. I was willing to sacrifice my studies and to decline some club positions and the reputation and popularity that came with them. Studies meant a lot to me then, as I was poor and should focus on excelling in my academic achievements to earn scholarships. But, I decided out of love for God to be obedient to His call to lead the Christian Fellowship and be a good leader and friend to young students. At that moment, I had an encounter with God who made a promise that He would not abandon me ever and not forget my willingness to sacrifice to Him. God pointed to me that it was enough to love him and that even by taking the chairman position in Christian Fellowship at school, I need not sacrifice stepping down from the club positions and also my studies would not be affected. It was significant since I had nothing to give, yet gave all. It turned out, I loss nothing at the point of my sacrifice then, yet gained everything including what I could count as blessings up till today. More blessings are to come, yet it comes with understanding what love and sacrifice is. Of course, we need wisdom to distinguish all situations accurately, but faith in the goodness of love and sacrifice never fails even when we do not see instant results. God desires deep love, constant obedience or our decision to turn from our selfish ways to seek after His ways. To a certain extent it requires sacrifice of our old ways and bad habits and sometimes we are prompted to even give up what we truly love. Yet, that's love and is most precious and will never be forgotten as its the most powerful force in life. God says in Hosea 6.6 "I desire obedience, not sacrifice. For you to know Me, not to give me burnt offerings". David said in Psalms 51:16-17 "For You do not delight in sacrifice ... The sacrifices of God are a a broken and a contrite heart." The question daddies may ask is would I sacrifice all to my children and wife? Including my ambitions? Thats a tough question. Maybe one day, the path of sustainability requires me to take care of my health, spend more time with family and sacrifice my ambition. But, for now, I focus on loving and understanding love as much as I can. Sacrifice will follow if there is a need or when one is full of love.