Sacrifice - New Evangelizers

“Let the giving of thanks be your sacrifice to God, and give the Almighty all that you promised. Call to me when trouble comes; I will save you and you will praise me.” Psalm 50:14-15

Thanking God doesn’t seem like much of a sacrifice, does it? Think again. When we thank God for what He has done for us, we are sacrificing out illusion of being in control. We’re sacrificing the self-sufficiency that says we pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We’re giving up the ego-stroking that says we did it “our way” and the pride that tells us we are the center of our own little universe.

Giving thanks to God honors the Giver and acknowledges our proper place as creatures of a loving and powerful Creator. We didn’t create ourselves. In addition, many things in life are beyond our control. If we call on God in the face of problems that we can’t solve on our own, they become opportunities to grow in faith.

When we come to the end of our rope and have to let go, we find God waiting to catch us. After all, He’s brought us through the worst pain, fear and challenges we’ve ever faced or we wouldn’t be here today. Acknowledging that God has done for us what we could never do for ourselves strengthens our trust in Him.

Counting our blessings opens our eyes to all the ways God continues to provide for us each day. It reassures us that His power and love will see us through whatever trials we may face in the future.

God lovingly invites us to thank and praise Him—not for His sake, but for ours.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for your presence in my life.

Reflection: Count your blessings.

Copyright 2018, Barbara Hosbach

Barbara Hosbach

Barbara Hosbach, freelance writer, is co-chair of the CJ Chapter of the Catholic Writers Guild and member of the Catholic Press Association. Hosbach’s articles have appeared in a number of Catholic periodicals. Her latest book, Your Faith Has Made You Well: Jesus Heals in the New Testament, explores what happened when Jesus healed and what it means for us today. Your Faith Has Made You Well: Jesus Heals in the New Testament and Fools, Liars, Cheaters, and Other Bible Heroes