The Sacrifice of Time and Energy

      By Fern Horst

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1)

For the past several weeks I've had the privilege of caring for my Mother after her surgery. As I've done many things for her that she's accustomed to doing for herself, I think of the many years she did such things and more for me. As I make sacrifices so that she is well cared for in body, mind and spirit, I realize the many sacrifices she's also made for me and my well-being.

This caring for each other, whether in families, amongst friends, or in the Body of Christ, requires that we be living sacrifices. In order to give my Mother the care she needs, I must sacrifice energy and time for my own interests in order to give them to her. At first I was caught off guard by the amount of time and energy required, and I fretted about my own work that wasn't getting done. But then the Lord opened my eyes to an important truth.

My time and energy are not my own. They are the Lord's. If this is how He has chosen for me to use them for this time, then I have no need to fret about those things which aren't getting done. Long ago I gave myself for His service, to be a living sacrifice for Him. I've found that being a living sacrifice means being flexible enough to change my activities at a moment's notice. It means trusting that God knows what needs to be done and what doesn't. It means that if I can't do one thing because He is asking me to do another, I don't need to worry about those things I'm not able to do.

The truth of the matter is that we never get a reprieve from being living sacrifices. All of our time is the Lord's, even our vacation and resting times. He gives us Sabbaths of rest to rejuvenate us for the next requirement of our time and energy for His service.

What has God set before you right now to do? Whatever it is I know that you will need to make a sacrifice of your time and energy in order to do it. And as you do so without complaining or resenting the use of your time, be encouraged that you are indeed presenting your body as a living sacrifice for the Lord. I know no greater privilege than that.

© 2006 Fern Horst

If you would like to reprint this devotional in its entirety, whether it be in your blog, on your website, in your church newsletter, or elsewhere, please contact us for permission. If you are quoting this devotional, please provide a cite and a link back to this page. Thank you!

Visit the Devotional Archives

We appreciate your feedback, which is an inspiration, encouragement, and blessing to us! Please use our Contact Us page to send us your response. Thanks!