Friday, July 15, 2011

Material for Sacrifice

Here is something I gleaned yesterday from the Elisabeth Elliot book I am reading called, The Path of Loneliness.

"IS it not legitimate, then, to think of loneliness (or whatever you struggle with) as material for sacrifice? What I lay on the altar of consecration is nothing more and nothing less than what I have at this moment, whatever I find in my life now of work and prayer, joys and sufferings.

Some people see singleness as a liability, a handicap, a deprivation, even a curse. Others see it as a huge asset, a license to be a "swinger", an opportunity to do what feels good. I see it as a gift. To make that gift an offering may be the most costly thing one can do, for it means the laying down of a cherished dream of what one wanted to be, and the acceptance of what one did not want to be. 'How changed my ambitions!' the apostle Paul may have thought, for he wrote, 'Now I long to know Christ.' "

~ Elisabeth Elliot (emphasis mine)


One further sentence in the book that snagged my attention was, "What we don't have now, we don't need now." This was written about someone not being able to make friends after a move... But I think it can apply to anything, and its converse may be just as true, "What we do have now is what we need to learn to be satisfied with." Not satisfied with forever, but until the LORD changes our vocation, places us in the community that we need, or blesses us with a spouse, etc. But what we don't have now, we don't need. We can live here and now as whole human beings.

~ Johanna

4 comments:

  1. oh Jody...good reminders. It IS hard, and acceptance of what I don't want is NOT something I want to do. Thank you for this.

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  2. Ruth Ann - I send hugs your way!

    It is a hard truth, but I find that the good things in life are brought about by the hardship of the death of all our desires for ourselves. The Father's desires for us are far greater than we dare to dream. Though they take hard work, patience, perseverance, surrender of our wills, and acceptance of His, they are worth it.

    As my dear friend Carrie wrote to me once, "My pursuit of His holiness begins with the sacrifice of all my desires for me." And all shall be most well.

    Love,
    Jody

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  3. This is great Jody! I really enjoyed reading this. LOVE Elisabeth Elliot, and these quotes are just perfect. Thanks for sharing and for visiting my blog!

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  4. Mmm, thank you so much Jody! It IS hard, and sacrificing my desires is a hard thought to take. Oh, the soul-convicting comment from your friend "My pursuit of His holiness begins with the sacrifice of all *my* desires for *me.*" Wow... Oh that I were bound to Him and never did stray...

    I love you.

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