Morning Meditations: Are We Okay with the Love-Pain?

As Jesus sacrificed himself to sanctify, so may we, in the church, in marriages, in parenting, in friendships, and in society. 

How am I, how are you, how are we intentionally sacrificing, intentionally taking up our cross and following Him to be and to help others be sanctified? 

How many of us struggle trying to find ways to make our service that leads to sanctification fit comfortably into our lilves? When it shouldn't fit comfortably?

How many of us are increasingly afraid that our discipleship might start to cost us something in this nation? And we think there is something wrong with that?

His sacrifice hurt.  Does ours?  

Are we okay with inconvenience?  

Discomfort?  

Delaying our own desires?  

Rejection?  

Discrimination?  

Hurt?

With suffering for the sake of following after Jesus and getting the gospel to others?

Are we okay with the love-pain?  

Many who have gone before us were, and many in places around the world today are.

Jesus defines love as sacrifice. Can it be called a sacrifice if it doesn't hurt somehow? Can it be called love if it doesn't hurt sometimes? Often? 

Do we commonly put love in the categories of choosing to go out of our way so far for another...that it hurts? Jesus did! Do we avoid love because it might hurt? Shame on us!  

John 15:12-13 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Luke 14:27, 33 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple 
. . . So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.