"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has not pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" 1 John 3:16-17
A little six-year-old girl became deathly ill from a terrible disease. She required a blood transfusion and her nine-year-old brother was on the short list of people who matched her blood type. The doctors exhausted all other possibilities before approaching the brother, but left with no other options, they eventually did. They explained to the boy that if he was willing to give his blood to his sister, her life might be saved. Without understanding all of the dynamics, he agreed. The blood transfusion began. The doctor put the needle in his arm, and the little boy closed his eyes and lay back silently on the bed. When the transfusion was over, the doctors thanked the boy for his sacrifice and the boy began to cry. They asked him why he was crying and he said, "Doctor, when do I die?" The nine-year-old brother didn't fully understand what he was doing. He thought that he was trading his life for his sister's, which made his sacrifice even that much greater.
Most of us won't be called to give blood to our dying sister, or to be martyrs in foreign countries. But every single one of us will be faced with thousands of small decisions over the course of our lives that will amount to something in the end. What direction are your decisions taking you? When you look back over your life, will you see a life that has been characterized by revolutionary sacrifice? Are you heading in the right direction?
No comments:
Post a Comment