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God First, Man Second: Love Series, part 4

Whenever we hear stories of sacrifice on the part of people, we marvel. We admire their ability to give up something for the sake of another. Obviously, the bigger the sacrifice, the more we revere that person. It's nice when someone gives up a seat for another person. It's really nice when one gives up a kidney.

Yeah, I think I'm ok with that last line. Giving up a kidney is nice. I wrote that nonchalantly, as if you can just call someone up and borrow a kidney like you might borrow a cup of sugar. Does anyone borrow sugar anymore? If they do, have you heard of them measuring out a cup in return?

I'm a little off topic by now, but here's my point. In our world, where newscasters say 'Good evening' and then proceed to tell you why it's not a good evening, we like hearing stories of people helping one another. It reminds us that the bad news is not, in fact, all the news.

But Jesus did this long ago, in a fashion that is beyond words. By doing so, he gave us a definition of love.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us love not with words or speech but with actions and in truth. ~1 John 3:16-18

As with anything good, God is our example of all things good. This is why He comes first. Jesus modeled for us what love could look like. He leads, we follow.

Now it's your turn. What story of sacrifice has touched your life? Or share a story of something you gave up for someone else...from the small to the large.
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