Taylor recently finished her studies in human nutrition, foods, and exercise. She hopes to become a physical therapist and is excited to see how God will partner with her to advance His Kingdom through her profession.  In her down time, Taylor loves watching foreign films, reading historical fiction, exercising and playing sports with friends.

One value that is engrained in us, especially in today’s world, is equality. Treat people equally. View people equally. Love people equally. Somehow this value has transferred into my idea of how living standards in the Kingdom should be. I did not realize this until I read about sacrifice in the Live Dead journal.

The word sacrifice tends to bring up thoughts of laying down one’s life in extreme ways and that is definitely valid, but for me, when I think about what sacrifice looks like in my life, it is in the little things. I don’t doubt that I will have to make great sacrifices in my life, but sometimes the smaller everyday sacrifices seem harder for me to handle. I find that the value of equality, or at least my idea of what it should look like, impacts my attitude when making these small sacrifices.

Prideful Me

My pride gets in the way when the Lord asks me to give up a luxury that my friends around me aren’t. Frustration fills my mind when I can’t buy new clothes like the girls around me, because God told me to pay for my friend’s rent this month or when I have to skip out on dinner with my roommates because the Lord has called me to pursue a friend who is not yet saved. Times that others get to enjoy those small pleasures and I don’t are a tough part of life for me to accept. My pride comes into play again when I expect to get recognition for those sacrifices.

God continues to work on my heart, making it more like His and giving me a greater understanding of His purpose and promises for me.

My purpose is not to enjoy the simple luxuries of life; He does not promise me the comfort or pleasures of this world. My purpose is not to live a life like those around me; He does not promise equal blessings and equal callings.

However, my purpose is to love God and serve Him wholeheartedly, giving Him the reins in every area of my life, big or small; and He does promise that He will equip me to do so.

He will be with me every step of the way, and it will be the most fulfilling life I can live.