Sacrificial Love: What Does It Mean And How Do We Embrace It?

What does it mean to truly love someone? Is it buying them gifts for their birthday? Is it texting them every day and calling them every night? Is it spending quality time with them and making them feel safe? In the world we live in today, love is easily confused as an action that can be bought or shown through "relationship goals" or intimate photos on Instagram. It makes me wonder if people understand the real meaning of love. In my opinion, love is sacrifice and the best example of true love is shown through Christ. Yes, he died on the cross for us. However, he also accepts and loves us for who we are. How many people can truly say that they honestly love others the way Christ loves us?

Since I left you all with a rhetorical question, I want to discuss how love intertwines with sacrifice. When parents provide for their kids and are willing to give up their selfishness to feed their household, this is an example of sacrificial love. Another term for sacrificial love would be agape love. Agape love basically means to be self-sacrificing. This is the type of love God has for us and it is shown in John 3:16. Although we shown many other types of love, agape love is not something we want to do for others. Let's be honest, I would have a hard time deciding to lay down my life for another person. However, when I think about how Jesus laid down his life for me, I am willing to reconcile to God.

Now I know some people will disagree with this article, so I also want to discuss a few different ways for how we can love others through sacrifice. Volunteering for organizations can be counted as a sacrifice. I know for most college students, giving up a day to serve others is a struggle. It can be beneficial; it is sacrificing time and sleep to help others who are in need. If you have not tried it before, now would be the time to start. Another way to love others is to give to those who are less fortunate than you. You can donate clothing, hygiene items, food, etc. By donating to others, you are able to sacrifice items people may take for granted.

Overall, I want you all to take at least one or two messages from this article. You do not have to think of sacrificial love as only laying down your life for another person, but think of it as giving up something meaningful to someone else and being a selfless person. These small or large actions are a reflection of God's love and his work through each and every one of you. So the next time you think about the meaning or true, think about how it intertwines with sacrifice.

"So the divine love is sacrificial love. Love does not mean to have and to own and to possess. It means to be had and to be owned and to be possessed. It is not a circle circumscribed by self, it is arms outstretched to embrace all humanity within its grasp". ––Fulton J. Sheen