Author Stephen Covey defines sacrifice as “giving up
something good for something even better.” But all too often we stop halfway
through that definition and perceive sacrifice as simply “giving up something
good.” We miss the “for something better,” which is really the very essence of
the sacrifice. In doing so, we
overemphasize the cost of what is being surrendered. We view sacrifice as if it
is terminal, as if we are permanently and completely relinquishing value and thereby
the transaction.
But sacrifice is rarely a loss and is often a net gain. It isn’t
martyrdom. It’s stepping over a dime to pick up a dollar. Unfortunately, we
often do just the opposite. We fixate on the dime today rather than gaining the
dollar tomorrow. And if I can take Covey’s definition a step further and
enlarge it, I would venture to say sacrifice is often giving up what is desired
for what is necessary. Sacrifice is sometimes more than just trading good for
better, its transcending to another plane entirely, choosing to forego what is
trivial and fleeting to acquire what is truly invaluable.
Perhaps if we can view sacrifice in this light, we can more
easily part with those things that are hindering us from what we really need, thus
freeing us to become who we were designed to be.
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