I looked at my extended family on the laptop screen, smiling in their matching Christmas pajamas. I was struck, not for the first time, with the pain of the loss of relationship with some of my family over the past 10 years. Normal life circumstances would have caused some distance in the relationship, but our choice to live overseas exacerbated the distance. 

In Hosea 6:6 the Lord tells the people, “For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings (CSB).” His reference to sacrifices is the sacrifices of animals under the old covenant system. The Lord tells them He wants their loyalty to Him more than external action. 

And yet, love for our Father and willingness to follow where He asks us to go has led to sacrifices of another kind. Have you experienced them, too? 

Sacrifice: to suffer the loss of, to give up 

We give up comforts – dishwashers, central a/c, convenience items at the well-stocked grocery store. We suffer the loss of relationships in our home country and with extended family. We miss out on life events like weddings and funerals and births and baptisms and milestone birthdays. Sometimes we even give up our physical health when we follow Him to certain locations.  

I see you, sister. What’s even more important is the Lord sees you, too. He sees your loyalty to follow where He asks you to go. When Peter wondered if their sacrifice meant anything, Jesus told him, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29 ESV) 

Today you might not feel like you are receiving compensations for your loyalty, for your sacrifice. I’ve faced days when the cost felt heavy, and I needed the Lord to show me if this was what He wanted. If your heart is heavy, I encourage you to pray that the Father would give you the grace you need to steady your heart as you love Him. 

Your sacrifices are precious when they come from a heart of love for our Father.