The beauty and challenge of real sacrifice
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Mother Teresa once said, “A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, and must empty ourselves.” These words challenge us to rethink what it truly means to give. Real sacrifice is not about offering what is convenient or easy — it is about surrendering something deeply personal, something that stretches us beyond our comfort. In the spiritual life, this kind of surrender is not a sign of weakness but of incredible strength. It is in these moments of emptying ourselves that we make room for God to fill us with His purpose and presence.
Her quote reminds us that God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called. The second part of her message — “Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your weakness”—is an invitation to deep trust. Often, we hold back from giving ourselves fully because we are so aware of our limitations. But God sees beyond our brokenness and imperfections. When we trust His love more than we fear our shortcomings, we allow Him to work through us in ways we never imagined.
True sacrifice is a form of love. Jesus Himself showed us this on the cross, the ultimate act of sacrificial love. When we give of ourselves—our time, our gifts, our resources, our hearts—we participate in that same divine pattern. Spiritual growth comes not from avoiding pain or hardship, but from embracing them with purpose, knowing that God is working through it all. So let us surrender with confidence, believe in His love with boldness, and live lives poured out in faith, knowing He can turn even our smallest offerings into something eternally significant.
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This message is courtesy of Sunday Blessings; heard weekly on Sundays from 5am to 5pm on Classy 97, Classy 97 Lite, and Sunny 97. For inspirational music and messages of hope 24/7, we invite you to tune you HD radio to 97.3 HD3 and download the Sunny 97 app in your app store to take it everywhere you go. Just search ‘Sunny Idaho’ and install the free app to listen today!