“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:2

Sacrifice

On my vacation, I visited Pearl Harbor where I toured a submarine from World War II. The entire thing felt like real life had been sized down to its barest form. The passageways were narrow. The “doors” were short and narrow. The bunks were not only narrow, but shared by all the men in shifts for sleeping. The tables were narrow, the galley (kitchen) was teensy, the few office workspaces were miniscule. It would be easy to feel claustrophobic. To make matters worse, if the sub was underwater, there was no air moving around inside. The men slept and worked in their underwear, sweat pouring off their bodies.

Years later, my brother served our country on a submarine. When he went in to the recruiter’s office, they took one look at him and said, “You’re perfect for sub duty!” They just looked at his smallish stature, and based their decision on that. Until I toured the sub in Pearl Harbor, I never realized the sacrifice he had made. 

Today we celebrate our country’s freedom. So many of us have no idea of all that is involved in being a willing sacrifice. These who endure hardship in our place have to believe that what they are giving themselves up for is so much better than what would happen to us without their sacrifice. They do it for the love of others.

Jesus was a willing sacrifice. He loved us, and He knew that without His death, our sins could never be atoned for. He knew that the new life that awaited Him was better than life on this earth, and He knew that our lives would also be so much better, both in this age and in the age to come. Just as our brave military forces faced down our country’s enemies, so Jesus faced down our enemy and spared us from bondage to his evil ways.

Our soldiers “fought and bought” our freedom from tyranny. Our Savior fought and bought our spiritual freedom from the tyranny of our enemy. Praise Him for His mighty works!

“Jesus, thank You for your atoning sacrifice. Bless those who have served this country by sacrificing their lives, their comforts, their rights to themselves, so that we could live in peace. In Your Name, Amen.”