There is no Growth Without Sacrifice
How many times have we looked for our come up, our increase and our harvest and never planted a seed? How many times have we expected growth with no sacrifice? We don’t want to give up anything extra to get to the place we want to get to, but somehow or another we are expecting God to get us there.
Reward without work happens sometimes but oftentimes it’s that work that teaches us how to handle the success. That sacrifice that we made to get to the other side is important because we remember how hard we worked to achieve that thing. It is precious to us and we have a more grateful heart because of it.
Think about the thing that you really wanted when you were little. Maybe it was a pair of shoes, or a piece of jewelry. Perhaps you got a little older and you wanted your first car. Your parents probably told you that you needed to save some money on your own and if you got to a certain amount they would help you. Your parents wanted to see how badly you wanted the thing that you had been asking for. I believe it is the same for God. When we are asking God to bless what he has called us to and what we want to do (hopefully they are the same) we need to show God that we are invested and that we are willing to sacrifice for we really want. Your commitment to that thing that God called you to is your faith on display. You’re saying to God “I believe that If I’m faithful to what you called me to do, you will honor that.” Your commitment to that thing is your sacrifice and you can’t give God a sacrifice that cost you nothing. Everything that you did to earn that extra money (folding clothes, cleaning up, washing the car), that was your sacrifice. The money that you gave your parents to contribute to the thing you wanted was your investment. When you received the thing you asked for, sacrificed for and invested in… That was your return. There are no bad investments in the kingdom of God. You can never give time, energy and money and lose. In fact the sacrifice that you made to be able to invest will only bring growth. Whatever it is that you are supposed to be doing, do it. Don’t shy away from the hard work. Don’t cut corners. Be willing to sacrifice! Give all you have to what God has called you to and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Proverbs 16:3 says, commit your actions to the lord and you will succeed. Not only will you see the results from the sacrifice but you will see the growth in the process.