WORD OF THE WEEK - "SACRIFICE" - 6/23/24

Definition: an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to God or to a divine or supernatural figure: a loss incurred in selling something below its value: the thing, person or animal so surrendered or offered.

Scriptures:  Psalm 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
Matthew 9:13  But go and learn what this means: “I desire compassion and not sacrifice” for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Website:  www.wow-newton.com

Website: www.wow-newton.com
Email:  osnewton@wow-newton.com

Transcript

Definition: an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to God or to a divine or supernatural figure: a loss incurred in selling something below its value: the thing, person or animal so surrendered or offered.

Scriptures:  Psalm 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
Matthew 9:13  But go and learn what this means: “I desire compassion and not sacrifice” for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.


THOUGHT
When I think of sacrifice, I automatically think of the scripture: “Greater love has no one than this, that a man would lay down his life for a friend” (John 15:13). Love without sacrifice is like water without oxygen—lifeless and incomplete. Whether in marriage, parenting, or society, love thrives when we give of ourselves.
There are many areas of life where we profess our willingness to pay the ultimate price of sacrifice. Yet, divorce rates soar because spouses are unwilling to endure hardship for the benefit of saving the marriage or preserving a stable home for their children. Children who witness the failure of their parents’ marriages often become hesitant to commit themselves to lifelong partnerships. They see the marriage vows—to love each other “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer”—is a commitment that mirrors God’s sacrificial love for us.  This daunting promise demands a level of commitment that seems unattainable from a generation whose commitment to anything is as fleeting as their commitment to the previous version of their smartphone. 
Parents today are increasingly unwilling to sacrifice time, attention, or personal dreams for the benefit of their children. Many have effectively abandoned their parenting responsibilities while still living under the same roof as their children. Technically, the children may be adequately fed, clothed, and housed, but family dinners and meaningful conversations are becoming rare as bedtimes grow more inconsistent.
The need for adult supervision has been replaced by technology, with children learning everything from the ABCs to quantum physics, dance steps, and how to make slime from their televisions, computers, or iPads. These devices serve as the new techno-parents, with characters like “Blippi” and “Dora,” and friends like “Gabby” all residing in the virtual neighborhood of “Sesame Street.”
In the not-so-distant past, parents, though sometimes frustrated, were proud to show their love for their children through their willingness to sacrifice time, money, and often their dreams to educate, care for, and inspire them. Today, many parents are surrendering their parenting obligations to the techno-surrogate that fits in the palm of a child's hand.
It is wise to ask: Will the artificial intelligence of the techno-parent be capable of teaching our children the lessons of the Ten Commandments, introducing them to the universal God, or acquainting them with the sacrifice of the man who willingly gave his life on the cross at Calvary for the redemption of their souls? How will the techno-parent teach about the soul? How will it educate our children about God’s gifts of compassion, forgiveness, honesty, grace, respect, empathy, loyalty, and honor? How will it calm their fears, help them build independence and courage, and teach them the value of a promise? How will it embrace our children in a way that lets them feel the warmth, strength, protection, and power of human love—love traditionally taught by their human parents and passed down through generations?
In this brave new world, who will make the sacrifice of time and love to tell the truth of God and help keep humanity from the precipice of extinction?
If nobody is willing to sacrifice for anybody, then someday, everybody will suffer for the evil and chaos that somebody brings.