Is My Sacrifice Worth It?

My triplet sons are getting ready to graduate from high school so we have been doing the looking at colleges thing. One of my sons has been heavily recruited by a great school to play lacrosse. The school has even given him a very generous scholarship…and he wants to go.

The problem is the school is over 50K per year and even with the generous scholarship we are not even close to being able to afford it.

The struggle this has caused in my spirit surprised me.

Growing spiritually requires an enormous sacrifice. Part of that sacrifice is financially sacrificing for God’s Kingdom. Accordingly, over our 25 years of marriage, Cathy and I have given away an enormous amount of money to God’s Kingdom.

So I got to thinking…If every year over the past 25 years I had not given any money to God…and instead took that money and invested it every year…I could send every one of my children to any school they wanted and have lots of money left over.

Achieving spiritual growth requires sacrifice in many areas. Is the sacrifice worth it?

I think this is the first big sacrifice my children have to make because of decisions Cathy and I have made to follow the Lord and the financial implications of that decision.

Is the sacrifice worth it?

I have to admit I am struggling a bit with the answer.

The conversation between Jesus and a rich young man from 2,000 years ago has helped a little. It is recorded in Matthew 19.

The conversation began when the man asked Jesus what good thing he had to do to get eternal life. After some interesting dialogue, Jesus told the man if he wanted to be perfect he had to sell his possessions and give to the poor. The man walked away sad because he had a lot of money (No college woes for him!).

What is interesting is Jesus then turned to his disciples and said this in Matthew 19:23, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

He went on and indicated it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:24).

In response the disciples asked, Who then could be saved? Jesus responded that with man salvation is impossible but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

So Peter chimes in and reminds Jesus that he and the other disciples have left everything to follow Him, and then asks what is in it for them? Peter wants to know what his and the other disciples’ reward is for following Jesus.

I love Peter’s directness. I have the same question about college funding! Jesus…I have sacrificed my ability to send my children to any college they want…is it worth it?

Jesus responded that their reward would be sitting on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

I don’t know about you but sitting on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel does not sound very exciting to me. I want to know what my reward will be for the things I have done as I am sure you want to know what your reward will be for the things you have done.

Fortunately Jesus continued and said that everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or a father or mother or children or fields for his sake will receive a hundred times as much and inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:29).

The implication is everything you do for Jesus’ sake is rewarded with eternal treasure in heaven. This includes everything you have and will give up for him. It even includes college sacrifices!

Then Jesus followed up by saying in Matthew 19:30, “Many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first.” Clearly he is saying again that those who become first in this life by accumulating as much as possible will be last in eternity because they will have little or no treasure in heaven.

These words are an encouragement to me.

Recently I had lunch with a younger pastor I have been mentoring for a number of years. The church he recently started is going very well. He was excited to share with me that he and his wife have started to give everything they don’t need to live on to people in need.

I have to admit I was conflicted at first. I know the sacrifices he and his wife are making today will only bring them joy. Yet he has two young children. As they get older I know intimately the pain he will experience at not being able to provide everything he wants for them because of his decision to give lots of money for God’s purposes. I was not sure whether to encourage him or tell him to stop.

Since I didn’t know which to do, I simply told him of my college struggle. He did not blink an eye. That’s because he has not yet felt what I am feeling as a father right now.

Is sacrificing for God’s Kingdom worth it?

The answer is yes…always.

The reason is our earthly treasure is finite. Our eternal treasure is infinite. A wise man trades what is finite for what is infinite…regardless of how it feels at the moment.

Only a fool gives up the infinite to obtain the finite.

Sounds logical…seems easy to follow…but remember your emotions will at times try to recruit you to play the fool.

Don’t do it. Remember the sacrifice is worth it. Remember the rich young man. Don’t trade a finite gain in this life for an infinite loss in the next.