This week as a nation we are called to remember those who have sacrificed their lives to protect our freedoms as a nation. Memorial Day should move us to be thankful as for the freedoms we enjoy that have come at such a great price.
When one man is willing to lay down his life for another, it demonstrates what sacrificial love looks like. With that thought in mind, it is good for us to also remember that God the Father sacrificed His only Son. It is Christ's sacrifice and shed blood that also gives us freedom. Freedom from sin, freedom from the judgment of God, and freedom to know God and have eternal life. God is a sacrificing loving God.
What moves us so deeply when we remember the willingness of a man to sacrifice Himself for another? I believe it shows in part what real godly love looks like. Real love is willing to sacrifice. Real love gives. Real love shows the heart of God, who "so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son." (John 3:16)
As we celebrate Memorial Day this weekend, let us be thankful for the freedoms we enjoy as a nation and appreciate the great sacrifices that have been paid by our armed forces. Let us also remember Jesus and "run with endurance the race" that God set before us. It is from Him we gain the inspiration to live a life of love and sacrifice. Jesus, "the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross." (Hebrews 12:3)
