When There Is Love, There Is Sacrifice
Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”
Genesis 29:18 (NLT)
True love always leads us to giving and sacrifice. Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and he did it with joy, because love transforms effort into delight. When there is love, time, fatigue, and cost are not measured, because the greatest motivation is the beloved person. This is true in our human relationships and also in our relationship with God.
- Love removes the weight of sacrifice
Jacob did not see working seven years for Rachel as a burden because he was deeply in love. Likewise, when we love someone or something, we are willing to give our best without complaining. - Love is shown in adaptation
When we love, we adapt to the preferences, habits, and needs of the other. The same is true in marriage and family: love leads us to let go of selfishness and to think first of the other person. - Love for God produces obedience
Just as Jacob obeyed Laban out of love for Rachel, we show our love for God when we obey His Word. Love for Christ drives us to do His will with joy, not out of obligation. - Love needs to be renewed every day
Just as Jacob kept his love for Rachel strong over the years, in our marriages and in our relationship with God we also need to care for and keep alive that first love. Without renewal, sacrifice becomes routine.
True love does not seek its own; it is willing to give and to surrender. In marriage, in family, and in the church, love is the foundation that sustains us in every sacrifice. And in our spiritual life, love for God leads us to surrender to His will until the end of our days.
Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”
Genesis 29:18 (NLT)
Think About It:
- What things are you willing to sacrifice out of love for your spouse, family, or church?
- Is your love for God still as strong as it was at the beginning, or does it need renewal?
- Are you living your faith as a burden, or as a response of love to the One who first loved you?