June 24, 2004

[Rev. Doc]

Sacrifical Living

"...and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Matthew 10:38-39

Are sacrifices painful? Some can be. However, none can compare to the sacrifice made on the cross for each of us by Christ.

During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in trouble. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. He couldn't disappoint his people, and to capitulate to the enemy was unthinkable. After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia to bring their jewelry of gold and silver to be melted down for their country. For each ornament received, he determined to exchange a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude. Each decoration would be inscribed, "I gave gold for iron, 1813." The response was overwhelming. Even more important, these women prized their gifts from the king more highly than their former jewelry. The reason, of course, is clear. The decorations were proof that they had sacrificed for their king. Indeed, it became unfashionable to wear jewelry, and thus was established the Order of the Iron Cross. Members wore no ornaments except a cross of iron for all to see. When Christians come to their King, they too exchange the flourishes of their former life for a cross.

May bearing the cross and living a sacrificial life be a mark of distinction in our lives that give glory to our King of Kings.

Prayer: Ask God to help you not to focus on the sacrifices of life, but the lives which benefit from them.

"Only a life lived for others is worth living." ~Albert Einstein