Charlie has given up everything to care for Sarah. The life they knew has slowly deteriorated with Sarah’s early onset of Alzheimer’s. Charlie has rearranged his schedule to more effectively care for her. He cooks, cleans, bathes, administers medicine, and makes sure Sarah is able to get to and from the bathroom even when her body fails. He cherishes her in sickness, health, disappointment, and frailty. Great love drives him to selflessly give up his life for her whether she knows it or not.
Charlie’s sacrificial decision to give up everything to care for his ailing spouse reminds me of what it means to “take up [our crosses] daily” (Luke 9:23-24). Only love enables him to continue to die daily to those things that would draw him from caring for Sarah (see 1 Corinthians 13:1-8). When we’re truly in love with Jesus, our hearts become devoted to Him. We want to spend every waking minute in His presence to become more like Him. We want to do whatever it takes to live like Jesus.
To live as He lives and love as He loves—to do what is required—means making sacrifices. We have to turn from our selfish tendencies—our plans and our desires—in order to follow our Savior’s example. To put it differently, love calls us to carry our cross (a symbol of death) even as we learn to put to death anything in us that’s not pleasing to God. In Romans 8:12-13, Paul wrote, “You have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.”
Like Jesus, may we carry our cross today and sacrifice our lives out of love.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
More:
Read Mark 10:28-30 and consider what the disciples gave up to follow Jesus.
Next:
How are you living out sacrificial love before God and others? What does it mean for you to carry your cross?
kscott2016 on December 7, 2016 at 2:17 am
There’s NO greater sacrifice than Jesus’s dying for me. I love God more and more every day. It’s very humbling knowing God and Jesus loves me that much and even more than I can ever imagine.
God is good all the time and all the time God is good! God is so AWESOME!!
Tom Felten on December 7, 2016 at 8:35 am
Can’t agree more, kscott. Once we experience the love of God, we realize what true love is!
Marlena Graves on December 7, 2016 at 6:49 pm
I do agree! He is our model, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to be like him!
Gary Shultz on December 7, 2016 at 5:30 am
Hi Marlena: The story of Charlie and Sarah is very real, calling, and convicting. I am constantly aware that Christ’s life was only about His Father and the display of His Fathers love to others. Christ spent His ministry doing those things, the call was the focus, and the focus would also secure for us an eternal existence. We have eternity with max resources. We always tend to grab what we can get from life and most of the time we expend a lot of our effort to secure “what we can’t keep”. We very seldom really focus on “what we can’t loose”. Each day God offers us “what we can’t loose”, Charlie lived it as life. If only we would see clearer what God has in store, our service would become a sweet sacrifice and we would only be loosing what is passing so rapidly anyway. Some people reading these posts know the sacrificed life, and if they are here, it is probably with joy and respect to the opportunity God has given them to put treasure with Him. May we learn to open our hand, our “bucket list” and pour it out before God and allow Him to fill it with keepsakes. Thanks Marlena, A blessed Christmas to you and yours.
gagirllive on December 7, 2016 at 7:27 am
Great thoughts here, BWO. I especially like what you said about pouring out our bucket list and letting God fill it with His keepsakes. Life is always better when we leave the choices to Him. Merry Christmas, Gary!
Tom Felten on December 7, 2016 at 8:39 am
Gary, God’s love has been extended to us in so many ways—including the love of others. What an amazing calling to be His conduits of love to a world that so desperately needs it!
hsnpoor on December 7, 2016 at 8:41 am
Gary, you seem to be channeling Jim Elliott and I mean that in the best of terms. This is a beautiful and insightful comment on a truly lovely devotion, both of which really remind us of what is really important in this life. I pray all the caregivers out there are encouraged today and always. It’s only hard when done on our own strength and out of a sense of duty. If that is where you are, read 1 Cor. 13 and ask the Lord to relieve your burden and give you a heart and spirit of love that fuels your care of your loved one. Both of your lives will be transformed and lightened. I know. I speak from experience.
Marlena Graves on December 7, 2016 at 6:51 pm
“If only we would see clearer what God has in store, our service would become a sweet sacrifice and we would only be losing what is passing so rapidly anyway.” Amen. I need to see clearer what God has in store!
gagirllive on December 7, 2016 at 7:20 am
Sweet story, Marlena. It reminds me of a great little book written several years ago called A Promise Kept. I highly recommend it. It was written by Robert McQuilkin who tells the story of caring for his wife through more than twenty years of Alzheimer’s disease. He gave up his position as president of what was then called Columbia Bible College and Seminary to become the sole caregiver of his wife, Muriel. It’s a deeply moving story of sacrificial love. But what strikes me most about it is the humility of Mr. McQuilkin. He shares from the outset that what he did was not some special act of heroism, nor was he advocating that the course of action he took concerning the care of his wife was the only or best option for those facing a similar situation. He simply and humbly shared how he continued to do what he believed he had been called to do when he took his vows. He was committed to loving his wife sacrificially—as Christ loves the Church—in her years of health and now, even more so, in sickness. And that he did…to the very end. It wasn’t easy and he made no attempt to romanticize it, but he wrote honestly about learning what it means to “die daily” to himself and walk in the footsteps of Christ. I didn’t mean to take off and run with that, but your story was such a great segue into living the call of a disciple of Christ that I had to share a similar one. And that truly is our calling—a cross-centered life—dying to self, denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Him. Easy to say, but very, very hard to practice. Can I get a witness? 🙂 I always appreciate and look forward to your contributions, Marlena. Have a merry and meaningful Christmas!
Tom Felten on December 7, 2016 at 8:46 am
You’re right, GG. The McQuilkin’s story is truly powerful. Our sister ministry, Day of Discovery, once put together a program on their lives and marriage that you can view here.
gagirllive on December 7, 2016 at 10:12 am
Thank you for the link, Tom!
Marlena Graves on December 7, 2016 at 6:55 pm
Tom, thank you for this great resource!
hsnpoor on December 7, 2016 at 8:47 am
I didn’t mean for my comment to take the turn it did either, GG, but I went with it too. I didn’t read mcQuilkins book, but I heard his testimony on a radio program sometime back. It was beautiful, humble and incredibly impactful to me. Wishing everyone a joyous season of giving special focus and honor to Christ!
gagirllive on December 7, 2016 at 10:19 am
We’re all still on the same page, dear sister! Appreciate your insight and was encouraged by your experience as a caregiver too. Merry Christmas, Kim!
hsnpoor on December 7, 2016 at 5:58 pm
Thank you, GG! Back at ya!
Marlena Graves on December 7, 2016 at 6:54 pm
Hi gagirlive! Now that I reflect, I have heard of the book and I think I heard him years ago on the radio. Yes, this story is very similar to his. I haven’t read the book though. Those mentioned in this meditation and others are such examples to me about how to live self-sacrificially like Christ. Thank you for your encouraging words and Merry Christmas to you, too. Christ coming is upended in the world in such an astonishing way that he enables us to live in this way!
suny219 on December 7, 2016 at 9:20 am
I “gave up” my home, my career and my savings to care for my parents in their last few years. I cannot begin to list what I gained. I have never thought about how it parallels my relationship with the Lord. A few worldly things and ways for all I have gained. I am saving this to reread on those occasions when I am wallowing in self-pity, mourning the loss of some silly “thing”. Thank you .
gagirllive on December 7, 2016 at 10:16 am
What a testimony if how you honored your parents, suny219! May the Lord continue to bless you and use the experience to encourage others. So glad you shared with us today!
hsnpoor on December 7, 2016 at 12:33 pm
Thank you for sharing, suny! I encourage you to mourn whatever it is that you consider lost so that you can move forward with a clean slate and the surety that God can restore that which the locusts have eaten, if it is His will. If it is not, be assured He will allow you to truly see and know that, as you have stated, you have gained so much more than you’ve lost, like a crown to cast at His feet and a “well done” from His lips. May the Lord’s blessings run you down and take you over! Merry Christmas!
Marlena Graves on December 7, 2016 at 6:56 pm
suny219, you are an example to me. Thank you. So many of us need to follow your example.
BearPair on December 7, 2016 at 9:28 am
Thank you, Marlena, for reminding us once again what it means to be a couple united wt Christ in a Christian marriage. I feel badly for the many couples today who just don’t understand what marriage is all about; and I praise God for the growing number of Christian couples that are modeling the covenant love Christ describes in His Word. May their tribes increase!
gagirllive on December 7, 2016 at 11:17 am
Amen, BearPair. How we need to see and be examples of biblical marriages that demonstrate committed, sacrificial love! May this tribe increase indeed!
Marlena Graves on December 7, 2016 at 7:00 pm
This couple is indeed an example. I am just one witness to their loving marriage. I don’t think they have any idea of what an example they are.
bestillsusan on December 7, 2016 at 9:49 pm
Marlena, thank you for this lovely post. As we age, and settle, and in sickness and health depend upon and help each other – love depends and strengthens. This was beautiful to read.