Back in the Old Testament times God required sacrifices from his people as a physical sign of repentance. Not because he needed them; because we needed them. Sacrifices were the ultimate expression of repentance and obedience to God. But somewhere along the line they started to become empty and routine; hence the reason we don't chop animals in half for God anymore. Because it's not about the sacrifice in itself. It's about the condition of our hearts.
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." - Psalm 51:16-17
I love this.
But it really breaks my heart to realize how easy it is for the things we do "for God" to become empty and routine. Maybe even more so the idea of this mindset that the more a person does "for God" the better their relationship with him is. More isn't always more.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
TheMill recently did a series called Ordinary that was based out of 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, which says, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." The little things matter. Everything is a sacrifice when we actively pursue God in all we do. I'm convinced that God isn't really concerned with the above and beyond. He wants our obedience. He is jealous for our attention. He longs for our worship. And he loves our vulnerability. I believe that when we reach that place of sweet surrender, and all our concerns with anything aside from the Most High finally fade, that's when the greatest sacrifice is made. Then "above and beyond" isn't even above and beyond anymore. It's overflow.
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