Sacrifice is the price of both faith and freedom.
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.
Sacrifice has always been central in faith and freedom. Ancient Israel sacrificed animals as symbols of coming redemption. When redemption came, the commandment shifted. The LORD no longer asked for animals, but for hearts. To this day he asks us for a broken heart and contrite spirit.
What makes a broken heart and a contrite spirit a sacrifice? Because it asks us to lay on the altar the most difficult thing of all, our will. It is not the sacrifice of something we have, but rather a sacrifice of who we are. It demands that we kneel, both in body and spirit.
This is the essence of sacrifice. To give up our will is much harder than it is to give up possessions. Anyone can give up money or possessions, but only the humble can give up their pride. To have a broken heart is to submit our souls to God. A contrite spirit is to confess that we need Him, and that his ways are higher than our ways.
But why sacrifice? Because without it, we will have nothing of worth. To sacrifice, is to give up something we have for something better to come. To recognize that today matters, but that the future matters more, and that eternity matters most. God is not interested in who we are, but who we will become. He wants us to become like Him, and we can only do that by sacrificing who we are.
Every sacrifice is a trade. Something lesser for something greater that can be gained. Without sacrifice there is no growth and no freedom. A society who will not sacrifice will not be free. Comfort and security will tempt us to give up truth and principle, but liberty cannot be bought with these.
Liberty has always demanded sacrifice. The Founders of our nation knew this. That is why they pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. They understood that freedom was worth more than safety. Their sacrifice was not just for themselves, but for their families, their society, and for countless generations to come.
Like them, we must sacrifice ourselves for something greater. If we choose comfort over principle, we will lose both, safety over truth, we will get neither. But if we sacrifice our will and our pride for something greater, then what we can do is immeasurable in comparison. In religion, sacrifice brings us closer to God, in society, sacrifice brings the blessings of liberty.
Be careful to not misunderstand. Sacrifice is not destruction of one’s self. Rather it is a transformation. God asks for a broken heart not to leave us broken, but to make us whole. A nation needs sacrifice not to leave its people in poverty, but to keep them free.
This is why sacrifice is essential to both faith and freedom. It is the cost and foundation of every good thing.