In episode 178, “Sacrifice Requires Confidence”, we talk about having confidence in God when He’s calling us to give up something. We can act according to His will knowing that He’s got it all figured out. We begin our book study mini series over Autumn Miles’ book, “I Am Rahab” in episode 172, and it goes through episode 187. Learn how Rahab’s story mirrors our lives of being touched by God and fully restored.
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Risk Versus Sacrifice
A couple of episodes ago, we talked about God calling us to take risks (hear it by CLICKING THIS). This week, we’re talking about when God is calling us to sacrifice. The difference between risk and sacrifice can be broken down simply:
- Risk: chance of loss
- Sacrifice: certain loss
There are times in the Bible and in our own lives that sacrifice must be made in order to further the kingdom (think pruning and the sanctification process). Rahab took a risk by hiding the Israelite spies, but her sacrifice was giving up everything she knew in order to grow closer to God (lifestyle change, losing people she knew, even changing the way she connected with people). The point is that if God is calling you higher and that requires sacrifice, we need to step into that.
Sacrifice Requires Confidence
Sacrifices along the way might be easier if we knew the outcome, but sometimes we don’t get to know why sacrifices are necessary. We can trust in God’s plan, but we may not get the answers on this side of Heaven; and that’s okay! Want to know how to press on through those seasons of unanswered questions? Confidence in God. Here are some other quick tips from the Bible that help during sacrifice:
- God is in control
- He wins in the end
- All is good in the end
- God sees all the moving parts
- We can trust God
This list goes on forever, but the main focus is to put your faith, hope, and trust in God. He will not be reckless with you. God will not abandon you. Have confidence not in yourself, but in God to equip you along the way. How do we know we can have confidence in God?
- Knowing what the Bible says
- Reflecting on your past experiences
Ask yourself, where does your confidence lean? Are you consistently leaning on God, or on something other than Him? Faith is having confidence in knowing that God is going to do what He says He’s going to do.
Team Sacrifices
There are circumstances when the sacrifice must be made by a team. This could look like a mom staying home the first few years, a job relocation with your family, having an older parent now live in your house, etc… Some sacrifices take a team and others can be directly impacted by our sacrifices. Remember, if this is a sacrifice coming from God, we know we can walk in confidence with our team. Here are some tips when dealing with a team sacrifice:
- Remind them of God’s truths
- Have a team approach
- Remember God has all the answers
- Follow God’s promptings
- Pray as a team and have discussions
This doesn’t have to be huge moves either. It can mean something as simple as committing to waking up 30 minutes earlier so that you can have dedicated time with God. You and your spouse can alternate getting kids ready while the other reads their Bible.
This is where you can get creative for what works for you in this life phase. Maybe it means intentionally messaging people and asking if you can pray over them for something. You can even bring your kids alongside you on some of these. Don’t miss out on the blessing God has for you on the other side of following a prompting. We give specific examples int he episode, so be sure to scroll back to the top and press play.
“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:14
We hope you enjoyed episode 178, “Sacrifice Requires Confidence” and that you have practical, actionable steps you can take. Be sure to check out this entire I Am Rahab mini series about learning how Rahab’s story mirrors our lives of being touched by God and fully restored. Dig deep to grow closer to God in this mini series. You can do this! We’re here to help. Click the affiliate image below to get your copy of Autumn Miles’ book.
