"A sacrifice isn't a scarifice if it's easy."

"A sacrifice isn't a sacrifice if it's easy." - The Lord spoke this to my heart when I was angry with Him for asking me to walk through a long and difficult situation. It didn't make the situation much easier, but it helped change my perspective. Whatever sacrifice the Lord is asking you to make won't be easy by definition. You may not see the benefit or the significance of it in your lifetime, but the sacrifice will be worth it in light of eternity.

[Photo from Unsplash.]

Perseverance

This tree outside our kitchen window is a beautiful example of God’s grace. When a different tree fell on our house last year, the tree company had to cut all the limbs off of this one in order to clear out the larger tree that fell. This tree lost its limbs through no fault of its own, yet it continues to live and send out new leaves. Sometimes bad things happen to us through no fault of our own. Life isn’t fair. Yet, the Lord can give us the grace to persevere and overcome. It isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it. New life will come if we seek God’s grace and trust in Him.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 NLT