Sacrifice Made Worth While

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A while ago I was feeling frustrated because I looked at my life and felt like I had sacrificed so much of myself and my life to give to my kids, but they still needed from me. I worry often that I might be failing them. In my mind I can see them sitting in a therapists office years down the road and going, “My mother never….” Or, “She always…”


I may not be the only one, and I know that my kids will not have a shortage of things to blame on me. I have no delusions of being the greatest parent in the world. Still, it’s frustrating and hurtful to feel like you are giving everything you’ve got and know that it’s not enough.

As I was having my little pity party, God said to me, “I am the one that makes your sacrifice worthwhile.”

It dawned on me in a second that for thousands of years, the people of Israel made sacrifices of goats and sheep in faith that God would forgive them their sins, and therefore continue to lead them as their God. But it wasn’t the blood of goats and sheep that saved them. It was the blood of Jesus Christ who retroactively made those sacrifices worthwhile.

In the New Testament we are called to be living sacrifices. We, on our own are not enough to make our lives a worthy sacrifice, but when we are filled with the Spirit of Christ, we’re made like Him and He makes everything we give up a supernatural sacrifice.


I know that one day, when my kids are older, they will be able to blame me for plenty of wrongs, but my hope is that they are so close to the Lord that they are able to forgive me for where I failed. I pray that my failings are overrun by His goodness to them.




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