By: Undre Griggs, Jr.
Through Jesus Christ, Christians have the ability to accomplish many feats. Sometimes these achievements are common and admirable, but other times they will be seen as impossible and arduous.
Hebrews 13:15-17 (ESV): Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
No matter the situation, Christians are expected to “continually” offer “sacrifices of praise to God”. When providing a few examples of what these sacrifices may look like, the first is the words we speak. It is tempting to get into debates and arguments over matters we believe we have the advantage, but it that bringing glory to God? When we accomplish something amazing, do we take credit or do we give the credit to God? Even when we are singing praises in His name, are we singing with all our heart, or are we just reciting the word without considering about the meaning? To constantly commit to using our voice to provide glory to God’s name is a sacrifice of praise to God.
Galatians 6:10 (ESV): So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
The next two are examples of sacrifices you make for others in the name of Christ. When we find ourselves with the opportunity to help someone in need, we are encouraged to make that sacrifice. We see the consequence of someone unwilling to do so when we look at the parable of the Sheep and Goat. Jesus said how we treat the least among us is how we treat Him (Matthew 25:45). So when someone calls you because they need help moving, think of it as if Jesus were asking for your help. The second example is the sacrifice of “obeying your leaders and submitting to them”. To submit to anyone requires a touch of patience and a lot of humility. You must be humble in your interaction and respect their wishes more than your own. Keep in mind that sacrifices are not easy (that is what makes them sacrifices), but it does not mean that they are impossible. Stay focused on pleasing God and everything else will take care of itself.
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