We never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we surrender every aspect of our lives to God. Self-surrender is the most difficult thing. We are always putting conditions on it, telling God, “I’ll do what you ask, if . . .” Or else we treat it as an enormous burden: “I suppose I must devote my life to God.” There is none of the joy of self-sacrifice in that.
As soon as we do surrender, the Holy Spirit touches us with the joy of Jesus. When the Holy Spirit comes in, we are filled with the desire to lay down our lives for our Friend, and all thoughts of it being a burden vanish, because sacrifice is the love passion of the Holy Spirit.
“I delight to do thy will, O my God” (Psalm 40:8 kjv). Jesus was the embodiment of this passion. He wanted only to do his Father’s will, going about his sacrifice with exuberant joy and setting the example for us all. Am I following his lead? Have I yielded myself in complete submission to Jesus Christ? If Jesus Christ isn’t my lodestar, my sacrifice has no benefit. But if I set my eyes on him when I make my sacrifice, slowly and surely his transformative influence will begin to work.
“I have called you friends.” Our friendship with Jesus is based on the new life created in us, a life which has no connection with our old life. The new life is unutterably humble, unsulliedly pure, and absolutely devoted to God. When we enter into friendship with our Lord, we are called upon to show everyone we meet the love he has shown us. We must set aside our personal preferences and learn to love as God loves. Love, for God, is not sentimental. To love as God loves is the most practical thing for a disciple. Beware of letting natural inclinations hinder your walk in love.
