Many times, we look at how good we are doing with God according to what we have given up for Him or what trials we have gone through. It is easy to say that we are faithful to God simply because we have gone through a painful time. Well, just remember this: even Judas gave up his whole life to follow Jesus Christ. It is not about our sacrifices, it is about our obedience.
It does not matter if we sell out house, give away all of our money to charity, give our car to someone in need, sell everything in our closet, and go work at a missionary. If you are not obeying God when He tells you to move, you are just practicing self-righteousness. "If I give up more than ten percent for tithes this week, God will bless me." Well, maybe He will. In fact, He will do just that, if He told you to give more than ten percent. We must remember that God is alive and active. He is not a machine or a system. If He says obey, obey. Jesus Christ even said if you love Me, you will obey my command (John 14:15). We have to remember that our obedience is what God is after, not how much pain we can take and how much we can give up in a life time.
When Saul was sent out to go defend his land, God told him not to take any of the things for himself. Saul decided that he would take the best of the land and bring it home to sacrifice to God. This was not what God had told Saul to do. When Samuel found this out, he went to Saul and said, "does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22)
God wants our obedience, not our sacrifices. He wants us to obey more than He wants us to give. To think that works alone is what will get you into Heaven is incorrect. You must first have faith in God and then He will command your steps. Those works that God is pleased with comes by faith and obedience, not by doing our own ideas of what we think God would like. "To love Him with all your heart , with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." (Mark 12:33) We must love God first and do as He says, not as we think He will like. Listen to the Lord and do what He commands. That is how you will please Him.
If you feel as if you have been doing much for God and nothing has been happening, truly as yourself if you are doing much for God or much for yourself. To sacrifice over obeying God is selfish. He will not honor that. Sacrifice is not bad at all, but obedience must come first. "To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." (Proverbs 21:3)
-D
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