ByMonths before this article’s release, I saw a teenage friend use a quote about enduring pain as his WhatsApp profile picture. I was surprised because this is a son of parents who are both doctors and doesn’t have financial challenges. But the boy’s life has been different. I don’t know what caused the pain in his life. However, I’m sure he has learned many life lessons from enduring it. Maybe, his parents allowed him to suffer for a while so he could learn some of the benefits of sacrificial obedience in life.
Nevertheless, what I saw brought my attention back to God – who, as a leader, still allows us to go through some trials in life for our faith to be tested and refined (see Isaiah 48:10, 1 Peter 1:18, James 1:3). It beats my imagination. But God is good. He wouldn’t have rated obedience higher than sacrifice, according to His prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:22, if there were no benefits to divine compliance. Below are four benefits of sacrificial obedience.
1. You’ll stay on track with God
The first benefit of sacrificial obedience in Christ is that you’ll not miss God’s providential way in life. In that, when you choose to follow God’s plan for your life, as hard and uncomfortable as it may look before your eyes, you’ll always walk in His plans. And that is for your good.
God knew you (see Jeremiah 1:5) long before you entered the thoughts of your parents. He knew not just your name but your purpose, life trajectory and everything else concerning your life, including the ones you don’t know. Therefore, when He shows you, by revelation through His Spirit, that decide on that path in a life endeavour, it’s for your good. However, it doesn’t end there. He gives you the divine enablement to make the right choice. But it’s your duty to honour that and use it to your advantage.
God will not take away your will to submit to Him no matter who you are with what God has blessed you with. Please don’t follow your senses and emotions to make life decisions. Go to God for revelation. It will help you.
2. Your life will become a blessing unto many people
Secondly, sacrificial obedience eventually turns your life around to become a blessing unto many others. God created nothing to find fulfilment in providing for itself at the expense of others. Jesus said in John 12:24-26 (NKJV) that,
[24] “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. [25] He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. [26] If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”
So even a grain like wheat only multiplies its impact by dying to itself. How much more you?
In verse 24, Jesus was speaking of Himself dying to serve as the propitiation for mankind’s sins. So that through Him, many would get saved as it had been till today (see Hebrews 2:9-10). But He extended the application of this principle to you and me in verses 25-26. That is, when you focus on loving your life, you will lose it. But when you hate it for His name sake by following Him with intentionality, you’ll keep it for eternal life.
To lose your life when you keep it in that context means to exist without commanding any impact. Why? Because your life will become like that seed that chose not to die (to self) for many seeds to get produced out of it. That is disastrous.
Nevertheless, to hate your life means to abhor comfort for the sake of God’s kingdom. Sacrificial obedience helps you do that very well. There are too many people focused on living in their comfort zones in life, so they hardly take risks and moves of faith. For such people, they end up living fearful and timid lives due to a lack of exposure. But I pray for you that you don’t end up as one.
3. Your faith will get refined
Thirdly, sacrificial obedience makes God refine your faith through circumstances. The Bible says your faith is worth more than gold (see 1 Peter 1:7). So if gold gets refined for it to get to its pure state, how much more your faith?
Until you’ve been through difficult times and see how God carried you through, you’ll not know how to hope in the Lord for all things. And in those times, following God’s principles can become challenging. However, make up your mind to follow hard after God’s instructions because its benefits tomorrow far outweighs the effect of that affliction (see Romans 4:17).
4. You’ll eat the good of the land
The fourth benefit of sacrificial obedience in the Lord on my list speaks more about the futuristic glory of doing it. It’s written in Isaiah 1:19 (NKJV), which says,
[19] “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;”
Here’s the truth. If you willfully and intentionally obey the instructions of the Lord, there’s a divine promise that you’ll enjoy bountiful provisions from the same Earth many people struggle to make ends meet. That even confirms what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), that is,
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
You don’t have to work hard like unbelievers to get some things in life. God’s principle is this: “Receive grace to serve Me with gladness, and I’ll magnetise things to you without your stress.”
Even though serving God isn’t purposely for the acquisition of financial or material gain but for the spread of His kingdom, God will supervise it to get your needs met since it’ll be essential to serving Him diligently.
5. You’ll understand people in terrible situations better
Last on my list of the benefits of sacrificial obedience is your ability to understand people in situations you’ve been through before a lot easier. The scriptures talk about how Jesus feels when we battle with infirmities because He Himself was also tempted on every side but without sin.
“For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”
Hebrews 2:18 (NKJV) boldface mine
A man who has been disappointed will understand when another fellow who just experienced the same thing comes and complain to him. Many people are hurting in life. And God is raising comforters like you to deliver the people from affliction. Endure the training God is giving you today because it’ll help you, as well as someone else, in the future.
