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“…Burnt Offerings That Cost Me Nothing.”
By Marc | April 22, 2008
Unless you have lived a sheltered and privileged life, you are familiar with sacrifices. I’m not talking about something burning on an altar or anything like that, but just willing to risk something worthwhile for something better.
Some people have to give up time with their family in order to work to give them a decent home and food. Some have to make the choice to give over their children to someone who can give them a better life. Maybe you have to sacrifice a much needed day off in order to make some overtime. Maybe it’s missing out on overtime for some much needed time with your spouse. Maybe your sacrifice is a kidney so that someone else can live. Whatever it is, it’s not a sacrifice unless there is something to lose.
At the end of 2 Samuel, King David was told to build a temple on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite in order to alleviate a plague and atone for his sins. Araunah offered the king the land for free along with whatever animals and wood he required for the sacrifice…
But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” – 2 Samuel 24:24
It would have been very easy (and tempting) to just take the free goods and use them for the purpose, but to what avail? Then it wouldn’t have been his sacrifice to give. He offers nothing, risks nothing, and loses nothing. It would have been Araunah’s sacrifice to atone for David’s mistakes.
Do we do this in modern times? Probably not exactly the same, but we still take someone else’s sacrifices as our own, make poor sacrifices, or don’t sacrifice at all for the sake of self.
At work, we screw up something huge and our coworkers have to make up for it. An executive lays off workers to increase profits, then gets a raise for saving the company money. Someone might work their tail off on a project, making it just right, only to have some jerk in a suit take all the credit.
Break a promise to your kids to take them to the zoo? But that’s okay; they’ll go with their aunt so that you don’t miss that meeting. Everyone wins, right? They go to the zoo; you get your meeting.
Maybe your wife wants to spend some much needed time with you without the kids? But you’re playing a video game. She can wait until you beat the next boss.
How about ditching dinner with your elderly grandmother so you can go to a concert? She’s kind of boring and doesn’t remember who you are half the time, so it’s no big loss. Plus, the band is really rockin’!
In all of this, what are you risking? Nothing right now, but in the end we run the risk of losing everything, but not as a sacrifice, only a needless loss. Our integrity, the respect of our coworkers, superiors, and subordinates, and the love (or even presence) of our family can all be gone with nothing to show for it but the things that are directed toward ourselves.
I had two grandfathers who I sorely miss and I either neglected the time I could have spent with them, or took advantage of their love for me by thinking they would be okay with my more important things to do when I did see them. One of them had Alzheimer’s when I was in high school and I always found excuses not to visit him in the nursing home. The other was a farmer who had lost his wife to cancer late in life and only wanted my company and a little help getting some simple things done when I came to visit, but I just had to leave so I could get back to college.
I still have one grandmother left. She’s 90, but just as feisty as ever. We don’t get the opportunity to see her as often as I’d like, as she is on the other end of the state (Nebraska). Because of that, my children don’t get the full experience of her, but we see her every time we are there. I do wish we lived closer, but I am grateful that she at least has Mom there every day for her.
For a peace of mind and peace in life, you’ve got to sacrifice. You’ve got to let go of something important to you for the sake of something even more important. Find out what your priorities are and what you would be willing to sacrifice in order to keep them.
Topics: Life and Living |
