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Not Lost, but Given
Not Lost, but Given
A man was speaking to a soldier on a cot in a hospital. "You have lost an arm for a great cause," he said. "No," said the soldier with a smile. "I didn't lose it--I gave it."
So many great sacrifices have been made for incredible causes. The men and women who serve in our military have literally put life and limb on the line for our freedom. Parents sacrifice vast amounts of time and energy for the good of their children. Deacons put great thought, prayer and effort into the works of the church. Elders invest countless hours in the lives of individual souls.
In each of these cases, what was put in was not lost, but freely given. Of course, there is no way we could broach a subject like this without talking about the greatest sacrifice of all, Christ. Christ gave His safety, His energy, His tears, His blood and most of all His very life for us (Matthew 27). Because of this sacrifice, we can have eternal life (1 Timothy 1:15). Christ did not lose His life; He gave it (John 10:18).
Sometimes we get caught up with the "difficulties" of living the Christian life. We get too focused on what we "have" to do to follow Christ. In doing so, we forget the immense sacrifice that was given for us (Isaiah 53:4-6). How selfish and narrow-sighted we can be!
A life submitted to Christ should not be considered a life lost, but a life that is freely given. There is no greater focus for our lives. There is no one more deserving. Christ gave His life for us. The least we can do is give ours back to Him (Romans 12:1). There is no greatest cause on this earth. --Brett Petrillo
