As a pastor and a husband, I've had to grapple with this question many times. When it comes to choosing between love and sacrifice, I believe that sacrifice is an essential aspect of love. Jesus himself said that the greatest love is to lay down one's life for one's friends, and that's exactly what he did on the cross. As a parent, I've learned that sacrificing for my children is an essential part of showing them love. Whether it's giving up my plans for their desires or needs, or putting their well-being above my own, I've come to realize that sacrifice is not a burden, but a privilege.
But sacrifice is not just about grand, heroic acts. It's also about the small, everyday choices we make to put others first. As a husband, I've learned to sacrifice my own desires and needs for the sake of my wife, Susan. And as a father, I've learned to sacrifice my own comfort and convenience for the sake of my children, Joshua and Rebecca. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it. When we choose to sacrifice for others, we're not just showing them love, we're also showing them God's love.
The key is to make sure that our sacrifices are motivated by a desire to serve and give, rather than to control or manipulate. When we sacrifice for others, we're not just giving up something, we're also giving them something - our time, our energy, our love. And when we do it in love, our sacrifices become a noble task, a way of showing others the love and compassion of God. As the Bible says, "If I have sacrificed my Son for you, do you really think I am going to be stingy and withhold my love now?" When we sacrifice for others, we're not just showing them love, we're also showing them God's love, and that's the greatest sacrifice of all.