Pastoral Messages by Matriarch Elnette Edwards
Dear family,
True sacrifice costs us something valuable. It's easy to give from our abundance, to serve when convenient, to love when it's comfortable. But sacrifice gives when it hurts, serves when it's costly, and loves when it requires something precious from us.
The ultimate example of sacrifice is Christ. He didn't give from excess—He gave everything. He left heaven's glory for earth's suffering. He endured the cross for our salvation. His sacrifice wasn't comfortable or convenient—it was excruciating and costly. Yet He did it willingly because love demands sacrifice.
When David wanted to build an altar to the Lord, someone offered to give him the land and materials for free. But David refused, saying, "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." He understood that sacrifice without cost isn't really sacrifice—it's convenience dressed up as devotion.
I've had to learn this principle repeatedly. It's easy to give money when I have plenty. It's harder to give sacrificially when finances are tight. It's easy to serve when my schedule is free. It's harder to sacrifice time when I'm already overwhelmed. It's easy to love people who love me back. It's harder to sacrifice for those who can't or won't reciprocate.
But I've discovered that sacrificial giving produces joy that comfortable giving never does. When I give from my need, not just my excess—when I serve though exhausted—when I love at great personal cost—there's a depth of satisfaction and intimacy with God that can't be experienced any other way. Sacrifice deepens our relationship with God because it requires faith, demonstrates love, and aligns us with His heart.
Sacrifice also multiplies. When the widow gave her two small coins—all she had—Jesus said she gave more than the wealthy who gave from their abundance. God doesn't measure sacrifice by the amount but by the cost to the giver. Your small sacrifice given from genuine love is more valuable in God's eyes than someone else's large gift given from excess.
I've also learned that sacrifice shouldn't be done for recognition. Jesus warned against practicing righteousness before others to be seen by them. When we sacrifice for applause, we've already received our reward. But when we sacrifice in secret, known only to God, He rewards us—maybe not immediately, maybe not in ways the world values, but certainly and eternally.
Sacrifice is also the language of love. We sacrifice for what we value. Parents sacrifice for their children. Spouses sacrifice for each other. Leaders sacrifice for their people. Our willingness to sacrifice reveals what we truly love and prioritize.
But we must balance sacrifice with wisdom. Sacrificial living doesn't mean destroying ourselves or enabling others' irresponsibility. Jesus sacrificed Himself, but He also maintained boundaries, rested regularly, and said no when necessary. Sustainable sacrifice includes self-care and healthy limits.
The Christian life is, by definition, sacrificial. We're called to take up our cross daily, die to self, and live for Christ. We're called to be living sacrifices—not dead ones that stay on the altar, but living ones that continually choose surrender. This isn't easy, but it's the path to abundant life, deeper intimacy with God, and eternal reward.
What is God asking you to sacrifice? What's He calling you to lay down? What comfort, preference, or treasure is He asking you to release? Don't hold back. Trust that whatever you sacrifice for His kingdom will be worth it. Nothing we give up for Him compares to what we gain in Him.
Living sacrificially,
Matriarch Elnette Edwards
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