Called to Be a Living Sacrifice

Dan Hitz is the director of Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc. This article is adapted from a teaching he shared at Celebrate Recovery at Woodside Bible Church in Troy, Michigan on September 19, 2025. More recovery articles and testimonies are available on the Reconciliation Ministries website at https://recmin.org/newsletter-archives.

“A sacrifice isn’t a sacrifice if it’s easy.”

God, to me, when I was upset about a prolonged season of sacrifice that seemed fruitless.

There was a season when the Lord was asking me to walk through a particularly difficult time of sacrifice. To be honest, it felt fruitless and pointless. The longer I walked through it, the more pointless it seemed to become. At the same time, I knew the Lord wanted me to continue offering my sacrifice in obedience. As I was complaining to Him one morning, He simply said to me, “A sacrifice isn’t a sacrifice if it’s easy.” What could I say to a Savior who sacrificed own His life for me and sweat great drops of blood as He was asking the Father if there was any other way than the cross? In the end, Jesus pressed through the agony and said not His own will, but the Father’s be done [Matthew 22:42-43]. The same Savior who sacrificed His life for us also says to us, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” [Luke 9.23b] My flesh doesn’t like sacrifice. It especially doesn’t like that daily part. Maybe I can pull off self-denial and pick up my cross occasionally. But daily? That’s another story.

What viable option do we have in light of eternity than to say yes to the Lord? Jesus said in Luke 17:33, “Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.” He created us. He knows what’s best for us. He knows what needs to be adjusted in our hearts. Usually the only way to make those deep adjustments is to walk in daily obedience and offer our lives as a sacrifice to Jesus. It is then that the “refiners fire” can do a deep work of purification in our lives [Malachi 3:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7]. Over time, as we are faithful to live our lives as a sacrifice to God, we notice that He is indeed doing a deep work of refining our hearts. We aren’t being destroyed, we’re becoming a “living sacrifice”. We begin to see some of the fruit of those sacrifices in our lives, even if the external circumstances don’t change. Our hearts are being transformed. We’re becoming more like Him. As Romans 12:1 reads, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.” Offering ourselves as a sacrifice for the Lord brings life, and helps us overcome the darkness of this world. It is in becoming a living sacrifice that we experience the truth that whoever loses their lives for Christ’s sake, will actually preserve it, and experience a rewarding life in Him [Matthew 16:25].

As I’ve walked through many seasons of Living Waters and Celebrate Recovery, I realize one of the ways that God is calling us to sacrifice is by putting our addictions and sinful habits on the cross. Maybe we could have a theological debate if this is really a sacrifice or a necessary part of repentance. I actually look at it as both. A huge part of recovery is denying ourselves the temporary numbing agents and escapes that we’ve used to avoid the deeper pain in our hearts. Here we lose our own lives, but we gain the freedom that Christ purchased for us on the cross. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. As we surrender the sinful idols that numbed our pain, we now have to learn to deal with the things that caused our pain in the first place… father wounds… mother wounds… rejection… abuse… neglect… our own terrible choices… The list of things that cause us pain can be quite long. We may even be called to sacrifice some friends, jobs, and material things that we might lose if we don’t run with our old sinful crowd anymore. It takes a while to walk out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Sometimes a long time. Our sinful habits numbed us pretty quickly, even if that numbness didn’t last very long. Recovery takes time. It involves many sacrifices. In return, we get our lives back. In trying to save their lives their own way by doing their own thing, some of our friends have literally lost their lives to their addictions. In trying to save our lives our own way by trying to do our own thing, many of us have experienced great emotional, physical, and spiritual loss. It is in surrendering our lives to Jesus, sacrificing our sinful habits and addictions to Him, that we truly experience His resurrection life. A life that brings peace. Along the way, as we journey into the Promised Land, we begin to experience real freedom. It may not be easy. It may not be quick. But we have our Living Waters, Celebrate Recovery, and other members of our support team to walk with us. Sometimes they walk with us to the feet of Jesus for cleansing, and sometimes they walk with us in Christian fellowship for encouragement. We aren’t alone. We have brothers and sisters in Christ who understand. Sacrificing our addictions for a life in Christ is worth it!

When we think of sacrifice, one of the most obvious ones is sacrificing for other people. Sacrificing our lives for others is truly important; however, those of us in recovery need to be careful to discern the difference between godly sacrifice for others and codependency. If we’re making “sacrifices” for other people so that we feel better, if we’re trying to quiet our guilty conscience, or if we’re doing things for other people because we’re afraid to say no; those are wrong reasons. “Sacrificing” so that we feel better may bring about very brief positive feelings, but those feelings dissipate rather quickly. We can often fall into resentment if we don’t feel like we’re appreciated like we think we deserve. If we’re making sacrifices for another because the Lord is leading us to do it, and for the good of the other, that is the correct reason. Sacrificing for the Lord is rewarding in itself, especially if the other person is grateful. What if the other person doesn’t seem to appreciate our offering? What then? We can learn to feel approval from the Lord as we learn to listen to His voice and sense His affirmation.

Let’s look at this situation a bit more. There may be times when we sense the Lord’s leading to make sacrifices for another person who doesn’t appreciate our offering. Maybe they’ll never have the means to repay you for your sacrifice, either financially or emotionally. Maybe they’re not even thankful. That can be difficult. Maybe the Lord has called you to make sacrifices for someone who has deeply wounded you. During these seasons it is important to receive your comfort and approval from the Lord. He, Himself, said in Luke 14:12-14 not to invite influential people who could repay us to a banquet, but to invite those who are poor and needy. In Luke 6:27-36, He has a lot to say about blessing those who curse us, and giving to others without expecting them to pay us back. If we’re faithful to make these sacrifices as He leads us, He promises a great eternal reward. Again, it is important that we discern between codependency and obedience to the Lord’s instructions. When it is difficult, we can remember to draw comfort from Jesus’ own example, as He said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus not only laid down His life for His friends, He laid down His life for His enemies so that He could provide the way of salvation. May all of the sacrifices that we make for others point them only to Jesus and not to ourselves.

One last sacrifice that I want to talk about in this article is extremely sensitive. This sacrifice isn’t merely living for Jesus. It’s about living for Jesus and embracing life when it seems impossible. For some, the most challenging sacrifice is choosing to stay alive. To get up each day. To go through the motions when all they really want to do is give up and die. They sacrifice to reject the spirit of death and choose to live another day. I once heard a pastor speaking about how sometimes it is easier to die for Christ than to live for Him. If we die we go to Heaven. If we choose to live for Him, we stay here. In our trials. In our pain. Emotional and/or physical pain. If you find yourself in this place, reach out for help. You can find immediate help through the mental health and suicide prevention hotline at 988. Reconciliation Ministries is here to help you through professional counseling, prayer ministry, mental health coaching, and the Living Waters program. Call us at 586.739.5114. Help is available.

You are not alone. Many people have experienced prolonged hopelessness and felt like giving up. Unfortunately, some have given up. The good news is that many more have held onto Jesus when they felt like calling it quits. As we hold onto Jesus in the middle of our trials, He continues to do a deep work in our lives. Sometimes the pain is so great that we can’t see what those things are. It is then that we have to trust the Savior who suffered an agonizing death on the cross for us so that we can experience His presence, and eventually His peace, in the middle of our trials. I’ll admit that this process takes time, and sometimes hope deferred makes the heart sick, but as we embrace the Lord in our trials, He can change the desires of our hearts and fulfill our deep longings for something better [Proverbs 13:12]. This process isn’t easy. It is a sacrifice. But it’s worth it. If we hold onto the Lord in our pain, He will meet us and carry us through. In time, He will turn our horrible into victory. We are living for eternity. We may not realize the value of our trials and experiences in Christ on this side of eternity, but we will receive an eternal reward as we hold onto Him.

There were a few times in my life when I wanted to die. I was afraid to commit suicide, but I opened my heart up to the spirit of death. I wouldn’t have minded if a truck blew through a red light and took me out. I’d get to go to Heaven. No more emotional pain. Problem solved, right? Maybe on one hand. On the other hand, I would have missed all of the healing that the Lord had for me as I learned to let Him carry me. My family and friends would have been devastated. Healing came and things eventually got better. I had to learn to share my heart with safe others. I had to admit a whole bunch of nasty things… my faults and sinful desires… the trauma of being sexually abused as a child… I also had to admit that I was angry at God. I had to surrender… to open my heart fully to the Lord… to offer my life as a living sacrifice to Him. As I did, healing came.

In Luke 4:18, Jesus said that He came to heal the brokenhearted. In the original language, brokenhearted means shards of glass like a broken mirror. My heart was broken in many pieces. I hid much of it from others. I hid much of it from myself. I even tried to hide some of it from God. It’s hard to live life with a fragmented heart. The energy it takes to try to squash down our pain is exhausting. Our hearts can feel like they’re in a tug of war between self-rejection and the person we try to be. We don’t even know who we really are. As I learned how to offer my life as a living sacrifice to God, He began to heal my heart. As I went through Living Waters, prayer ministry, and learning to interact with safe brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, Jesus healed one broken piece of my heart at a time. He put the pieces of my heart back together and brought deep healing to my soul. Most of the time our flesh wants the healing process to be quick. We might dread the thought that healing is a gradual process. I did. But then I realized that it takes time to develop a healthy, deep intimacy with others. Even God. One of the beautiful aspects of the healing process is learning more and more about the true heart of Father God and building a deep intimacy and trusting relationship with Him. Now I look at all of the wonderful things the Lord has done in my heart since those difficult days and I can honestly say choosing life is worth it. Oh, I still have trials, but I’ve also received incredible healing. That healing helps me trust that the Lord will continue to work in my heart and help me overcome whatever new trials come my way.

Another beautiful thing about the healing process is that you’ll get more of your true self back. You’ll learn who God designed you to be when He knit you together in your mother’s womb [Psalm 139:13]. You’ll learn what it means to be a redeemed, Holy Spirit filled, beloved son or daughter of God Most High with the unique personality and gifts the Lord has given you. You’ll experience the truth of Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Notice that this verse doesn’t say that all things are good, but that God will work through all things to bring good to those who love Him. As He brings comfort to your heart, He’ll also equip you to bring comfort to others who are in similar situations to what you’ve gone through. In other words, your suffering won’t be wasted. Your life matters! As the Lord heals your heart, He uses the very things that the enemy meant for evil and brings victory. Victory for you and victory for others. Offering your life as a living sacrifice – rejecting the spirit of death and choosing life – is well worth it!

Your life matters! If you’re having a mental health crisis or feel suicidal, call the mental health and suicide prevention hotline at 988. Reconciliation Ministries is also here to help. If you’re struggling with sexual sin, the trauma of abuse, or difficulties with relationships, call us at 586.739.5114.

Photos are models and used under license with Shutterstock.com. Bible verses are from the New International Version.

© 2025 Reconciliation Ministries of Michigan, Inc. This article may be reproduced and distributed as long as no fee is charged and credit is given.