What are we as Christians willing to sacrifice?

Our staff meeting yesterday brought a discussion on 'sacrifice.' I continue to struggle with my understanding of what sacrifice means and what take up your cross and follow Me means. If sacrifice brings about God's ultimate will to the world, what does that mean for me? for us? I pray that I glimpse the vision that God has for all of us and that I am willing to change, to be transformed by the Holy Spirit, to be in tandem with that vision. I do know that I live very comfortably, that I am not in daily crises in which I am afraid for my life, for my faith, for my beliefs, for my commitment. I do know that I have had deep pain and trauma in my life, and that I am restored by faith to wholeness. I do know that there is joy in serving God. I do serve out of that knowledge that I have received gifts, blessings, many 'things' that I do not deserve, for which I have not worked or struggled; and it is out of deep gratitude and appreciation for how much God loves me that I gladly and humbly serve. Service is not an obligation, something I must do in order to receive something else, not an obligation like a debt to be repaid; rather, service comes from the knowledge that I have been redeemed, I am forgiven and freed by the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Sacrifice - what I am willing to give up? Am I willing to be open to the prompting of the Spirit and the lessons that can be learned from others? Am I willing to put aside my own wishes, my own agenda, my self in order that God may work through me? in spite of me? Am I willing to be less self-absorbed and more faith-community minded? I pray that is so. I know that I fail more often than I care to consciously recognize my weaknesses, my mistakes, my failings. I also know that God works through me, through all of us, in our weaknesses, in our humannness, and that God's Will for us will triumph. I know that God loves me more than I can ever really understand, and I know that God heaps upon me blessing upon blessing, grace upon grace.

I realize that everything is not about me but I do find a lot of me in life. I pray that God continues to challenge my understanding, to challenge my way of life, to challenge what I think I know. I pray that God will fill me up, so that my life becomes less of me and more of Jesus.