Not Much of a Sacrifice

Sometimes a dog owner will ask if their dog can stay in the house instead of the kennel.  Of course, this is understandable since 95% of the dogs boarded are house dogs.  Yet the house is already full of many animals as it is!

With the recent propane shortage and subsequent sky rocketing costs, the kennel closed for a few weeks.  However, here and there I've been able to watch a small dog in the house for a couple days.

Some owners think it's a really nice and generous thing for me to do.  But really, it's a money saver.

Yesterday a Bible teacher was talking about the definition of sacrilege.  Most of this think this means taking something that is deemed holy and using it for non-holy purposes.  He cited another Biblical writer who said what true sacrilege is - giving something to God as if it is a sacrifice, when really it isn't at all. 

In other words, it's not like you're going to miss the so-called sacrificial gift.  What this means for me is if I decide to give up sugar for Lent and I'm already going on a diet, then it's not really something I am giving up for God.  Or maybe I decide to give up going elk hunting for Lent.  Frankly, I've never been nor do I plan to go elk hunting.  Again, not a sacrifice.  What if I decided to give up saying negative things about people.  Oh, now we're talking serious sacrifice!  I may not even be able to carry on a conversation with others! 

Yet shifting my focus to the good inside people instead of running them down would be something that would honor God.  And it is one in which I'd have to rely on God's power to keep.  Any inevitable failure would require running to Him for forgiveness.

But who knows, maybe I'd learn something from a true sacrifice - one that actually cost me something.  Because Lent is the time we remember God's own sacrifice of his innocent son Jesus, for us, those who run others down and don't really like to give up anything at all.