Success and Sacrifice

Welcome to another Daily Encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled Success and Sacrifice, was written by Jennifer Benson-Schult. During a summer study program, my son read a book about a boy who wanted to climb an alpine mountain in Switzerland.

Practicing for this goal occupied most of his time. When he finally set off for the summit, things didn't go as planned. Partway up the slope, a teammate became sick and the boy decided to stay behind to help instead of achieving his goal. In the classroom, my son's teacher asked, was the main character a failure because he didn't climb the mountain? One student said, yes, because it was in his DNA to fail.

But another child disagreed. He reasoned that the boy was not a failure because he gave up something important to help someone else. When we set aside our plans and care for others, instead we're acting like Jesus. Jesus sacrificed having a home, reliable income, and social acceptance to travel and share God's truth. Ultimately, he gave up his life to free us from sin and show us God's love. Earthly success is much different from success in God's eyes. He values the compassion that moves us to rescue disadvantaged and hurting people.

He approves of the decisions that protect people. With God's help, we can align our values with His and devote ourselves to loving Him in others, which is the most significant achievement there is. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 John chapter 3, verses 11 through 18. For this is the message you heard from the beginning. We should love one another. Do not be like Cain who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him?

Because his own actions were evil and his brothers were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer.

And you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth. Let's pray. Dear God, society tells us that the evidence of success is what we accomplish and accumulate. But in Your eyes, success is marked by sacrifice and how we serve the needs of others. Help us to strive for success in Your eyes and teach us how to love others the way You love us. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening. My name is Alisha Reisinger, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.