The Beauty of Sacrifice

by Victoria Gaines
Published October 17, 2006

"Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar." ~ Psalm 118:27

Something in My Utmost for His Highest convicted me deeply this morning. It's not easy to post about but seriously important if we call ourselves believers. Oswald Chambers asks if we are ready to be poured out as an offering. This is an act of our will, not emotions. Too often we've offered up our lives, only to resent the trials that followed.

But Chambers says, "You must be willing to be placed on the altar and go through the fire; willing to experience what the altar represents---burning, purification, and separation for only one purpose--the elimination of every desire and affection not grounded in or directed toward God. But you don't eliminate it, God does."

If we don't allow God to deal with us on the level of our will, we'll feel sorry for ourselves when the 'fire' comes. But this is good (letting God deal with our will) because "After you have gone through the fire, there will be nothing that will be able to trouble or depress you. When another crisis arises, you will realize that things cannot touch you as they used to do," Oswald states.

And so "God has you in the circumstances of His own choosing so He can fix you," Jack Taylor says.

Watchman Nee adds, "Let us remember that the one reason for all misunderstanding, all fretfulness, all discontent, is that we secretly love ourselves. Many times problems arise due to our seeking a way of escape--an escape from the working of the Cross. Thus, we plan a way whereby we can deliver ourselves."

Nee describes two basic barriers to brokenness in the life of the believer. One, we don't see God's providential design behind our difficult circumstances. And our second hindrance is self-love.

"O my God, I have seen that all things come from Thee. All my ways these five years, ten years, or twenty years, are of Thee. Thou hast so worked to attain Thy purpose, which is none other than that Thy life may be lived out through me. But I have been foolish. I did not see. I did many things to deliver myself, thus delaying Thy time. Today I see Thy hand. I am willing to offer myself to Thee. Once again I place myself in Thy hands" (Nee, Release of the Spirit, pg.16).

Has God sent you through a personal crisis where nobody else can help you? My prayer is that we will accept these times without complaint, offer our very life as a sacrifice of praise inspite of hardship, and let Christ work in our hearts for His glory. His intent is not to make us comfortable, but to make us like Him, holy, and full of joy.

GraceNotes provides a list of evidences of brokenness that I'd like to share with you:

1. All rights surrendered.
2. Willing to be rejected.
3. Transparent - willing to share weakness.
4. Vulnerable - willing to share failures.
5. A sense of total inadequacy in self strength - 2 Cor 3:5.
6. A sense of adequacy in Christ's strength - Phil. 4:13, 2 Cor. 3:6.
7. Trusting God whatever - resting even with external turmoil.
8. Obedience out of a love motive because I want to, not because I have to.
9. Recognizing the power in weakness.
10. Willing to be weak.
11. Willing to fail.
12. A readiness to let others receive credit.
13. Genuine humility.
14. Placing value upon those who have little or no value to yourself.
15. A readiness to affirm (build-up) others.
16. Teachable.
17. Willing to be out of control.
18. Willing to be misunderstood.

(taken from the Exchanged Life Conference).

Lord, you have a design for my brokenness. Please turn my struggles into surrender. I am ready to be poured out as an offering, and give up my rights to self, for as Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Take my life and make it a beautiful sacrifice. Amen.

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