"Not equal gifts, but equal sacrifice" ...if those words are to mean anything to us, we need to know what a sacrifice is and what a sacrifice looks like.
What is a sacrifice? A sacrifice is giving up something precious in order to gain something even more precious. What does a right sacrifice look like? First of all, the Bible says that a right sacrifice costs us something. It involves giving God something that's precious to us. In II Samuel 24, Araunah the Jebusite offers to give King David oxen to be used as a sacrifice. David refuses. "Then the king said to Araunah, no, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing." (v. 24)
Second, a right sacrifice involves giving God our best. The Law of Moses is filled with examples reminding God's people that their offerings and sacrifices are to be the best we have to give. In Malachi 1:8 the LORD asks, "And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil?"
Third, a right sacrifice will involve a change in our lifestyle. Remember our definition: a sacrifice is giving up something precious in order to receive something that is even more precious. That means that when we make a sacrifice, we adjust our priorities and that can have an enormous kingdom impact.
