JULY 30 “INTIMACY THROUGH SACRIFICE”

Love in relationships breeds intimacy. This intimacy is strengthened, sustained and preserved by sacrifice, among other things. The very art of sacrifice is giving up or surrendering something very dear to you for the wellbeing of others. This is very much needed in the church today for building selfless and fulfilling relationships. There are many things one can sacrifice for the other to maintain intimacy in the church. One of such is giving priority to others. In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” This can help build trust, respect, security and openness in the church.

Sacrificing your time, pleasure and comfort shows the extent of your love for the other person. It may involve setting aside quality time to pray for each other, look out for each other and be genuinely concerned about each other’s welfare. These create a bond, emotional connection among members, opens up a line of effective and constructive communications and gives room for understanding of the issues in one another’s lives. It makes one vulnerable to the other without fear of intimidation or embarrassment.

Sacrifice in relationships must be mutual. Challenges are created when only a few are making all the sacrifices. There must be a balance to it with everyone making their individual contributions in order to enjoy the benefits together.

PRAYER: Father, please give me the grace to play my part in making sacrifices to demonstrate my love as I walk in intimacy with my brothers and sisters In Jesus’ name, Amen.