Assigning Value

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
” Phi2.5-6 NIV

Sacrifice is the necessary choice of love. This does not mean that we sacrifice something every time we love, but it is necessary often enough. Every mother gives up sleep when she nurses her baby. Every father forgoes a thousand other pursuits to provide for his family. Yes, it is the nature of love to give up one thing in order to gain another. We of course are assigning value when we do this. The baby is more valuable than sleep, the child’s school tuition has more value than a comfortable retirement. Everyone who loves has sacrificed.
We are encouraged to adopt the attitude of Christ when we assign value to the choices before us. From one point of view it may very well be our right to have, or to do something. But from a different point of view, it may be necessary to choose between holding on to it or letting it go to have something of greater worth and value. The life of Christ directs us to the supreme value of God and loving Him before all things.
It can be somewhat confusing at times. It is said that the number one reason young people do not answer the call to foreign missions, is pressure from the parents to stay closer to home. Value is being assigned here by both parent and child. What has the greater value, honoring parents or the great commission? This of course is not so easy as it seems. Christ of course faced a similar decision. Stay or go, wasn’t it? I think the key lies in assigning value not to going or staying but to our willingness to do the Father’s will, whatever it may be. When we assign His word, and His pleasure as that which has supreme value, His will is certain to follow. 4/28/07 ts