Live Life With No Regrets!

Sacrifice really means giving up something good for something better. It could really be called up-leveling. When a person has a vision that transcends himself, that focuses on an important cause or project that he is emotionally connected to, then the real course of least resistance is to put service above self. To such a person it is no sacrifice.

To an outside observer it would appear to be a sacrifice because he is denying some present good. Happiness is essentially a by-product of subordinating what we want now for what we want eventually. Rather than being the course of most resistance, sacrifce is the course of least resistance to one who is deeply, spiritually and emotionally connected to a cause or a calling or the serving of another. Service above self is the ethic of all great religions and of all philosophy and psychology that has endured. Albert Schweitzer said, "I know not what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be truly happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."

What is sacrifice?

During entrepreneurship classes we were asked what we were prepared to sacrifice in order to achieve our goals. In order to achieve success, we sacrifice some TV, some social time, some leisures that we go without.

Some sacrifice sleep. But a sleep sacrifice needs to be repayed. But after learning about the consequences of inadequate sleep, I realize that sleep may not be a good sacrifice.

However, when it comes to success in the family life, the success of the material world then becomes the sacrifice. To have good relationships, it may mean postponing an important business meeting for a PTA or little league baseball meeting in order to support our kids. Other types of sacrifices may be "prestige", "being #1" (isn't #2 just as good?), "convenience", "ego".

This concept of "sacrifice" is interesting.

What makes a good sacrifice then? It recalls to my mind images of Cain and Abel each sacrificing their offerings respectively. One sacrified the fruit of their own labours. Cain, the farmer, sacrificed vegetables and Abel the best of his flock.

It wasn't the type of sacrifice that mattered, vegetables or animal (or mineral) but rather whether it cost the person something.

It showed between Cain and Abel who valued God more. By sacrificing something that is not valuable, we show that God comes second in line.

To put God second best by giving him the lame and blind isn't a good sacrifice.

King David knew that sacrifice meant costing something. Araunah wanted to give his land away free for David to perform his sacrifice, but David knew better and still insisted on paying for the land. "I will not offer anything that costs me nothing."