Sacrifice is supposed to be hard, and that’s not a bad thing (2024)

FAQs

Is sacrifice positive or negative? ›

Sacrifice can be an incredibly positive thing, showing immense compassion and empathy for the other partner and making the relationship successful. Sacrifice can also present itself with a more negative appearance, acting in more harmful ways than good.

Sacrifice means giving to the Lord whatever He requires of our time, our earthly possessions, and our energies to further His work. The Lord commanded, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

A small, voluntary sacrifice strengthens the will by giving you evidence that you have more self-control than you might think. Small successes also tend to predict greater successes in the future.

1. To make an offering of; to consecrate or present to a divinity by way of expiation or propitiation, or as a token acknowledgment or thanksgiving; to immolate on the altar of God, in order to atone for sin, to procure favor, or to express thankfulness; 2.

In many cults, sacrifices are distinguished by frequency of performance into two types, regular and special. Regular sacrifices may be daily, weekly, monthly, or seasonal (as at planting, harvest, and New Year).

: to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal, belief, or end. 3.

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise— the fruit of lips that openly profess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Heb. 13:15-16). When we do these things, not only is God pleased, but people are blessed.

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22).

Biblical narrative

According to the Hebrew Bible, God commands Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. After Isaac is bound to an altar, a messenger from God stops Abraham before he can complete the sacrifice, saying, "now I know you fear God".

The problem is, the more you sacrifice, the more these people expect you to sacrifice. They may even start to feel entitled to it and they may become abusive toward you. This happens because if you don't value yourself, you are actually teaching the people in your life, not to value you, either.

Can you love without sacrifice? ›

No. Love, between two people, in order to survive, always requires some sacrifice of autonomy. Yes, love conquers all. Not if you're an amorous Druid.

But Jesus Christ came for one reason: to become the final and complete sacrifice for our sins. When He died on the cross, all our sins were transferred to Him, and He died in our place. No further sacrifice is needed — because Christ gave His life for us.

God was seen to have instituted sacrifice as a powerfully evocative multi-purpose means for faulty human beings to demonstrate faith in him, draw near to him, receive his covenant to become his holy people, maintain his presence with them, be freed from guilt, regain purity, and celebrate his salvific actions on their ...

In contrast, when people sacrifice to avoid tension or to prevent their partner from feeling let down, they are likely to experience increased feelings of frustration and resentment, negative emotions that may fuel further conflict and ultimately detract from the quality of their relationship.

Several studies combining experimental, cross sectional, and daily experience methods have shown that when people sacrifice for approach goals, they experience greater feelings of authenticity, and in turn, they experience greater personal well-being and higher quality relationships (Impett, Javam, Le, Asyabi-Eshghi, & ...

People who have a “self-sacrifice” schema are constantly busy and preoccupied with others, so they live under constant stress. As a result, they tend to struggle with anxiety, depression, feelings of resentment, and burnout. Chronic self-sacrifice ends up becoming an extreme form of altruism.

Sacrificing our own gains for others is what leads to greater fulfilment and profound happiness; yet many of us are denied that privilege by the impulse to cling on to what is ours, often through fear, rather than letting it go.