“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Here we have more about sacrifices. The Christian is all about doing good. If you aren’t doing good, you aren’t following Jesus. Everywhere Jesus went, He did good, and to every person, He met, he did good. The Hebrews writer ups the challenge for his readers. Do good to the point of sacrifice. That changes everything, doesn’t it? To exaggerate the point, if you have a million dollars and give a beggar ten dollars, you will have done good. Question, would a sacrifice be involved in your opinion?

Sharing what you have with those who do not have is also expected of Christians. Many of us do share. We share our surplus, our used, our unwanted. This is good, and those who receive these gifts of sharing are glad to have them, and it can make us feel good. Can we locate and name the sacrifice we are making in such sharing? Sacrifices do no come from surplus or old unwanted items. I’m not saying that that kind of sharing isn’t good, I’m just asking where is the sacrifice?

The Christian life is to be marked by sacrifice, not just by “good” deeds. A gift that cost me nothing or little does not reach the level of sacrifice.

Task for Today: Please God. Go beyond the easy gift. Share something that costs. Whatever it is, it won’t touch a cross. Go out of your way, spend into your personal need, put others first. Sacrifice your own for someone else’s good.