..."I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that
cost me nothing." - 2 Samuel 24:24
One day I was having lunch with a man who had a certain amount of notoriety
in his life. After a time of getting to know each other, he said, "How can I
help you?" Those words surprised me coming from a man who obviously already had
many requirements on his time. My first thought was that I was impressed with
the individual. My next thought was to wonder whether it was a genuine offer or
just an effort to impress me with his humility and Christian piety. I have since
discovered he was sincere.
This encounter reminded me that each of us must be willing to give to others
without a motive to get anything in return. It is simply an act of serving
others. Jesus said that we must consider others more important than ourselves.
When is the last time you did something for another without a motive of getting
anything in return?
When King David came to offer a sacrifice and pray for the removal of a
plague on Israel, he was given the opportunity to make the sacrifice without the
cost of purchasing the sacrificial animals.
But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will
not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David
bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for
them. David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and
fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered prayer in behalf of the land, and
the plague on Israel was stopped (2 Samuel 24:24-25).
David, understanding the principle of giving, said he could not offer
anything to God that did not cost him something. Otherwise, it was not a
sacrificial gift.
When was the last time you sacrificed for another with no expectation of
getting anything in return? We can all give something to others, such as our
time, our money, or our expertise. This is real Christianity that models the
Spirit of Christ. The next time you meet with someone, why not consider how you
might be a blessing to that person. Why not ask, "How can I help you?"
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