When You Shouldn’t Sacrifice
Colossians 3:23-24: Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. (New American Standard, 1995, Col. 3:23-24)
An important principle is found in this verse that is often overlooked: “As for the Lord rather than for men.”
Those who love sacrifice and hard work love this verse. It’s inspiring. It’s compelling. It’s motivating. “Whatever you do, do it with all your heart as if working for God!”
But, just because one sacrifices as they sweat doesn’t mean they understand this verse at all!
It doesn’t say “as IF for the Lord.” It actually says “as FOR the Lord,” and, just in case we are tempted to miss it, it then adds, “rather than for men.”
In short, there is a time you shouldn’t sacrifice: it’s when your sacrifice gets sideways.
Why? Because when your sacrifice gets sideways (as FOR men, rather than FOR the Lord), it actually multiplies sin in your life.
Do you want to avoid that? Then it is so important to understand this!
If you sacrifice vertically, unto God, you are returning the grace given to you back to God.
However, if you sacrifice sideways, unto another, it will breed earning. Earning, in turn, will breed entitlement. Entitlement will breed exceptions, meaning, the making of exceptions that are not to be made.
We have to fully understand this, as it has so many implications on the health of our souls.
God loves sacrifice, when it’s right.
We know in the Old Testament that many of the offerings (sacrifices) made, were a pleasing aroma – when they were offered to God with the right heart and in the right way.
The New Testament speaks about sacrifice as pleasing to God too.
Romans 12:1: Therefore I urge you . . . present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Rom. 12:1)
Philippians 2:17: But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Phil. 2:17)
Philippians 4:18: But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Phil. 4:18)
Hebrews 11:4: Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Heb. 11:4)
Hebrews 13:15: Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Heb. 13:15)
Hebrews 13:16: And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Heb. 13:16)
1 Peter 2:5: You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (New American Standard Bible, 1995, 1 Pet. 2:5)
Contrary to some Christians who want to say Jesus sacrificed so we don’t have to sacrifice, the actual Bible teaches there are sacrifices God loves, when they are the right ones.
If we read these verses alone, it would seem that we should always sacrifice, on every occasion.
However, when we understand the heart of Colossians 3, we actually understand there is a time we should not sacrifice.
It’s when we go sideways in our sacrifice.
Sacrifice vertically, unto the Lord, is great! Always!
Sacrifice sideways, unto men, is NOT great! Always!
Now, how do you know if your sacrifice is sideways or not?
There are three signs to look for.
First, sideways sacrifice is comparative.
Its eyes are set not up, but on others.
Jesus taught a parable to illustrate this, where successive employees were hired throughout the day and yet, all paid the promised amount at the end of the day, and all paid the same at the end of the day.
The text tells us that when this happened, “...they grumbled at the landowner.” (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Matt. 20:11)
These workers were looking left and looking right and comparing what they got in relationship to what others got, and in the end, it actually caused tension and friction with the landowner (of course, representing the Lord). Sideways sacrifice will do that.
In response the landowner said the following.
Matthew 20:13: Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? — (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Matt. 20:13)
The obvious takeaway?
The Lord wants our eyes up and only up, not comparing ourselves, our sacrifice and our service with others, nor our reward with others.
When our sacrifice starts to go sideways, not only do we begin to look sideways but it damages our relationship vertically.
Another example of how sideways sacrifice will manifest itself in comparison is when Jesus told Peter what kind of death he would die.
What was Peter’s response?
John 21:20-22: Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them . . . So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” — (New American Standard Bible, 1995, John 21:20-22)
Again, we see that this comparative looking left and right is not something God commends.
Quite sternly Jesus says back to him, “What is that to you? You follow Me!”
You can recognize sideways sacrifice in this way.
It is focused on what it did that was more than another.
As you serve, are you looking to the right and to the left? Are you comparing what you’ve done and are doing to another?
It’s a sign your sacrifice is going sideways.
What is a second sign of the same?
As soon as sacrifice gets sideways, the sacrifice is earning and not returning, and earning leads to entitlement.
Entitlement is the second sign of sideways sacrifice.
When we sacrifice to the Lord, it cannot lead to entitlement, because our sacrifice will never be greater than His.
It will never be more than His.
It will never be better than His.
It will never be unfair.
It will never be undue.
It will never be unjust.
It will never be undeserved.
Anything we give, even the best of what we give, is but a small return for who He is and what He has done.
However, when we start to look sideways as we sacrifice, it very quickly results in a skewed perception.
We will see the more we are doing in comparison to the less others are doing, and it’s a short jump then to start thinking, “I should get something for my sacrifice.”
Sideways sacrifice earns.
Vertical sacrifice returns.
Sideways sacrifice comes in a few shapes and sizes but a sign we are caught up in sideways sacrifice is seeing our sacrifice as being driven by another, demanded by another or done for another.
Imagine if Paul saw things this way. He would be saying to the churches, “I have been beaten for you. I have been imprisoned for you. I have gone hungry for you. I have worked two jobs for you. And what have you done for me? I deserve . . .”
Paul would have been embittered against the church and believing he was due something from them. But, Paul did not have this issue, because Paul did it unto Him, not unto them.
Sideways sacrifice breeds earning, and earning breeds entitlement.
Do you feel you are entitled to something on account of what you have given? On account of what you have done? On account of the sacrifice you’ve made?
That is a second sign of sideways sacrifice. And the third?
It’s making exception.
Entitlement that comes from sideways sacrifice believes it deserves an exception, and this multiplies sin.
It says, “I’m doing so much, therefore, I deserve…or I can take…or I should be exempt from, etc.” .
If you’ve ever caught an employee stealing you know that the justification is always the same. “I put in more than that much time. I deserve that.” Entitlement leads to exceptions.
This is why wherever you find sideways sacrifice, you find sin multiplying, because sideways sacrifice is not returning but earning, and earning leads to entitlement and entitlement leads to exception.
So, what is the solution?
Is the solution to stop sacrificing altogether? No, that would fall short of the standard that God calls us to.
When we find our soul in this place, what do we do? We return to grace. We repent, acknowledging, “God, I’ve been looking to the left or the right, seeing what I have as mine and seeing what I am doing as something for the sake of another. I’ve judged others less. I’ve judged myself greater. I’ve abandoned all understanding of grace in the process. God, I am Yours. All I have is Yours. I don’t want to look to the left or to the right to evaluate or to justify. I want to look to You, You alone, have a heart that is right before You and pleases You, one that recognizes all is grace from You, the God of grace, and lives the life You sacrificed to give me as a sacrifice to You.”
© 2022 Shane Farmer, Rebekah Layton. All rights reserved.
