Sacrifice

I cannot love the things of the world and yet also love God.

I cannot become prideful and yet also remain humble.

I cannot be selfish and yet also be selfless.

I cannot set out to please people and yet also please God.

When I choose one of these, I must sacrifice the other. I simply cannot embody both at once, and this is a beautiful thing. By choosing selflessness, I will automatically be pulled away from selfishness. By loving God, I will be pulled away from loving the things of the world. By embracing humility, pride will flee my character.

But let’s not forget that there is also the flip side:

If I start loving the things of the world, I am at the same time distancing myself from God.

If I begin boasting and becoming prideful, the humility in me will suffocate.

If look to myself first and become my own number one, there will be no place in my heart for others.

If I start trying to please people, it will become impossible for me to please God.

Now, if these observations are correct, then I’m left wondering: Is there such a thing as neutrality? Am I not making a statement about my faith, my values, and my character with every word I speak, every action I take, and each decision I make? Am I not constantly embodying morality or immorality?

I try to remind myself as often as possible that when I choose one path to walk down, I am at the same time deciding not to walk down another one. I sacrifice that other route.

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These are some thoughts I wanted to share. I think of these things because I find them important. I share these things with you, my dear readers, because it helps me grow, and maybe it helps you grow as well. It would be foolish of me to believe that every observation I make and every contemplation I write is an accurate depiction of reality. I am simply doing my best to learn and understand things. If you have any thoughts, ideas, questions, or criticism, feel free to fill out a contact formula. I would love to hear from you.