SACRIFICED LATELY ?

Have you sacrificed lately ?
Have you sacrificed ever ?

The following riddle may help to put sacrifice in a new perspective.

What do
+Punishment
+Persecution
+Sacrifice
have in common ?

Wish I could hide the answer while you think about it.
Or I could write some more to give you time.

The answer:
Suffering

+With Punishment you suffer, and it’s your fault.
+With Persecution you suffer, and it’s not your fault.
+With Sacrifice you suffer, and it’s your choice.

So,
Have you sacrificed lately ?
Have you sacrificed ever ?

How about giving ?
Has your giving involved sacrifice ?
Has your giving involved suffering ?

We can give without sacrifice—give what we can spare.
We can’t sacrifice without giving—if it doesn’t hurt, it’s not sacrifice.
– – –
Does this spoil what we’ve always thought about our giving ?
Or does it challenge us to a new experience in giving—for the first time ?
Think for a few minutes about Jesus’ giving to us—His sacrifice for us.

Therefore, can a millionaire sacrifice and remain a millionaire ?
Can I sacrifice and maintain my current standard of living ?