God desires my obedience, not a burnt offering of hardship and physical sacrifice. He is most pleased when I humbly lead others toward His grace. This devotion was published by The Christian Broadcasting Network on 11 December 2018.
I
read their gut-wrenching words and pound my fists. I walked in their
shoes, yet sit clueless how I should take away their agony. I despise
“should” because it’s a word of shame. But that’s how I feel — ashamed
that I can’t find words to help them. So goes another morning on a
social media dementia support group.
Someone needs prayer because her loved one wandered away. Another
aches because his loved one passed. Another regrets complaining how hard
it was to be a caregiver — now all she wishes for is one more smile or
“I love you.” Some feel their sacrifice is killing them and can’t wait
until it’s over.
So, my heart cries.
Online support groups were a lifeline during my mom’s Alzheimer’s
battle as I tried to balance her needs with mine. But balance is
subjective. The disease caused my mom to weave from side to side as she
walked down a hallway, and it caused me to emotionally weave from side
to side when I responded to emergencies and balanced them with work,
marriage, and sleep.
I stay in these support groups hoping to help them all — I was a
caregiver! But on this morning, I was clueless. I was an eyewitness to
this wretched disease twice. Yet I felt failure, which contradicted my
belief that God called me to minister to caregivers.
So God took me for a walk — me, Him and the worship music playing in my ears. Coincidence that Voice of Truth
by Casting Crowns played on my playlist? God knows when we feel like we
tried again and failed. I heard the lies: I’m no good at ministry or
writing, and I can’t help anybody.
He reminded me that He calls us for His purpose (Romans 8:28).
He didn’t choose me to do everything for everyone. That’s His job. Mine
is to contribute in accordance with the calling He gives me. I can help
some of the people some of the time, but I can’t help all of the people
all of the time. Only God does that. He has called me to write, point
caregivers to God’s grace, and encourage them to find collateral beauty
instead of collateral damage. If they rebuke God’s grace, I move on.
Even Jesus moved on.
God desires my obedience, not my sacrifices. Obedience is a response
to a request to do something. Sacrifice causes or permits injury for the
sake of something else. God said,
“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, …” Hosea 6:6 (NIV)
and that we are to
“Walk in obedience to all I command you, …” Jeremiah 7:23 (NIV)
Caregiving is physically grueling, mentally exhausting, and
spiritually depleting. I wasn’t asked to sacrifice my life for it, only
be obedient.
Sacrifice is Jesus — sent to earth alone to die broken and alone in order for us to receive eternal life.
Obedience was Abraham’s willingness to kill his son, or Daniel’s
concession to spend a night in the lion’s den because he was unwilling
to stop praying, or my determination to take Mom’s frantic calls when
she didn’t know where she was or what she was doing. Jesus said,
“… whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
That’s collateral beauty. That’s obedience.
God didn’t call me to help everyone, just lead them toward God’s
grace. What I gave to my parents and Jesus was obedience (a living
sacrifice), not a killing sacrifice (a burnt offering).
“And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (NIV)
And the support groups? If God leads me to respond, I will. If God
leads me to be quiet, I will. I will rest in obedience to the one who
sacrificed it all and share God’s grace and mercy with them through my
obedience to Him.
Copyright © 3/2018 Cheryl Crofoot Knapp and Regifted Grace Ministry LLC.