Shirley Dygert wanted to celebrate her 54th birthday with flair. So she signed up to skydive from nearly 21⁄2 miles above the terra firma. In tandem with Dave Hartsock, her instructor, they leaped from the plane. They pulled the ripcord, but the parachute became tangled and only partially opened. Hartsock tried opening the reserve parachute, but it too was tangled. As they spiraled to the ground at 40 mph, Hartsock realized they were running out of time. So he rotated his body under Dygert’s body and absorbed the impact of the fall. Dygert walked away relatively uninjured, but Hartsock is now paralyzed from the neck down. What an example of sacrifice!
Just as Hartsock lay down his body for the safety of his student, the apostle John reminded his readers that this is what Jesus did for the salvation of the world. In response, they were to sacrifice to help meet the physical needs of one another.
This call to sacrificial love was not a new command but a message John had heard from Jesus (John 13:34-35). John pointed to the powerful model of Jesus, who was betrayed, sentenced to death, mocked, scourged, and who endured the agony of the cross to forgive their sins (1 John 3:16). Because He sacrificially gave up His life for our sin, we should be prepared and willing to lay down our lives for one another through the meeting of one another’s physical needs.
Over 2 millennia ago, Jesus demonstrated His love by laying down His life for us. Motivated by this kind of love, we should ask God to help us love others in the same way. Let’s begin by striving to lessen the impact of the financial, physical, emotional, and spiritual burdens of our brothers and sisters in Jesus.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today:1 Timothy 4:1-16
More:
Read Acts 2:42-45, Romans 16:3-4, and Philippians 2:25-30 to see how first-century believers gave up their lives for one another.
Next:
How willing are you to have your finances and schedules inconvenienced and interrupted by people in need? How can you and your family demonstrate your love for needy brothers and sisters in Jesus?
winn collier on December 11, 2011 at 11:34 am
what an amazing story. love that gives, that’s powerful love.
Unknown woman on December 12, 2011 at 8:38 am
I wonder how many of us out there would have the courage to do the same thing……
alli on December 13, 2011 at 4:07 am
its easy to keep stuff and save ourselves, what hard is when you sacrifice and the ones are ungrateful can you imagine if shirley was ungrateful to her instructor for the fall. it makes you think how we are today. i mean what if she didnt realize the enormous sacrifice made. i remember being in a sitaution like this and those who i gave up MY stuff for were unthankful and actually thought they deserved it. What would Jesus think if He endured scorn and suffering for oursake and men are unthankful and ungrateful worse feel they deserve salvation there is not a worse crime if you ask me.