“Sacrifice” by Jack Lindsey

Jack Lindsey is the current “Past-President” at Bethany. He has graciously agreed to share some of his past devotional writings on this site. What follows is a brief note from Jack explain a bit about this recurring column. Then, you can find his devotional “Sacrifice”.

Dear All,

From 2009 to 2016 we published a monthly column of devotionals on Health and Wellness in The Bethany Beacon. Pastor Nate asked if I would resurrect some of these devotionals that seem appropriate for the time and circumstances in which we find ourselves, and I was happy to comply. Although some of them will not match in terms of the month you are viewing them, I will add comments each week as we go, to help with the context of the devotionals and you will find these on the Tumblr site for the next few weeks.

The key premise of the entire eight-year series was that Health and Wellness involve a balance of three elements – body, mind and spirit. In introducing the series in December 2008 I wrote:

If you were to ask many people for their definition of the term “health”, chances are good that the answer would contain the idea that health is an absence of illness. Indeed, in our frequently compartmentalized lives this is the way some view health – as long as I don’t have to go see the doctor, I’m good. A more complete understanding of health, however, includes consideration of the physical, mental, spiritual and community aspects of our selves. Perfect physical health is elusive. Factors such as genetics, physical and social environments, our own behavior, and access to care, all play a part in health. Suffering is a reality for many of us, and we can feel very alone in this.

Something as basic as loss, or a sense of social or spiritual isolation can have great consequences for our physical as well as mental health. For this reason we, as the body of Christ, have a much larger role in our own and our neighbors’ health. As we begin to try to understand health in this larger, more integrated fashion, we begin opening ourselves to the directions that the Holy Spirit can reveal to us. We begin to perceive health as a shared endeavor.

We have all learned that one of the primary aspects of getting through this current plague and helping each other survive is sacrifice, so here is a column from 2010 on that very subject. I miss you all and look forward to being reunited in body as well as spirit and mind.

– Jack Lindsey

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.– 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do goodand to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
– (Hebrews 13: 15–16)

During Lent, one of the things we are asked to do is to commit to a sacrifice in our daily lives. I have to confess that my typical sacrifice in past years was to give up something like eating doughnuts. Although heartfelt (and not easy!) my gesture may not have quite risen to the level of being a prime example of the kind of sacrifice called for, but at least it did something for my health.

Of all the multiple themes that our church has chosen for this year’s Lenten season, “The Blessing of Fasting” was the one that really caused me to wince, and this helped form the basis for this month’s column. I mean, really? A blessing? Giving up food? With all its ability to sustain me, comfort me and reward me? And how is fasting an activity that could be a blessing to me as well as an expression of faith? Sounds more like a sacrifice.

But I have every faith that the pastors know their theological stuff, so I set out to explore this radical idea of the Lord asking us to sacrifice for the sake of devotion and also receiving a blessing for doing so. The concept of sacrifice is very ancient, of course. The Bible is full of examples of sacrifices both great and small. In many cases it was apparent that sacrifice was done to avoid God’s wrath (“Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.” – Exodus 5:3), or to make good for our sins (“Moses said to Aaron, ‘Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people’ …” – Leviticus 9:7).

But how is this kind of sacrifice a blessing? Looking at the scripture from Hebrews that introduces this month’s column helped me realize that my reaction to the term “sacrifice” was coming more from the images of the Pentateuch, or Old Testament. Because this is not what Christ asked of us when it comes to sacrifice. God’s love, through Christ, does not demand of us, but blesses us when we sacrifice. It is the giving of self that provides blessings, and places us firmly in the role of being God’s agents on Earth. And this is where the blessings of wellness come in.

It has to do with what and how we sacrifice. As was mentioned in an earlier column, being mindful about what we buy, prepare, and eat (or sacrifice eating) can have real impact on whether someone else in the world is hungry. Giving of our time to help others is also a worthy sacrifice. Sacrifice, or giving back to others unselfishly, is a way of blessing others and yourself. It can even help you find a sense of direction and purpose. Physically, claims are made that this kind of altruism can have benefits that boost your immune system, help with pain management, and reduce the effects of stress. There is even a brain-based euphoria that some people experience that is called “helper’s high.”

Remembering last month’s column on heart health, there is one final quote that I think illustrates how sacrifice is healthy for you. Bernard Meltzer, one of the first radio call-in advice givers, once said, ”There is no better exercise for your heart than reaching down and helping to lift someone up.” So, what are you sacrificing for Lent this year? Peace and health – JL