When Love Involves Sacrifice

June 8, 2026

A man was bragging to his wife about how much he loved her. “Honey,” he said, “I would climb the highest mountain for you. I would swim the widest ocean. I would cross the hottest desert.” His wife smiled sweetly and said, “That’s wonderful, dear. Now could you take out the trash?” He paused, looked at the overflowing trash can, and replied, “You know, that mountain is looking pretty tall right about now.”

Real love sounds romantic until it asks us to do something inconvenient or even sacrificial. We learn to do this by reading Scripture carefully, praying consistently, and confessing our sins regularly. When we pray to be more forgiving, God often sends someone who needs forgiveness. When we pray to be more loving, God sends someone who is hard to love. As we grow in these areas, our ability to share love with others flows more naturally from our lives.

At the heart of real love stands the greatest promise in the Bible. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This single verse contains the greatest love story ever told.

This most familiar verse of the Bible has been beautifully summarized for years in this memorable breakdown: For God - the greatest Good. So loved - the greatest Action. The world - the greatest Need. That he gave - the greatest Example. His only Son - the greatest Sacrifice. That whoever - the greatest Invitation. Believes in him - the greatest Response. Should not perish - the greatest Horror avoided. But have everlasting life - the greatest Gift.

This love is not cheap. It cost the Father His only Son. It cost Jesus His life. Real love always involves sacrifice.

A powerful illustration of this truth is the well-known parable written by Dennis E. Hensley in 1967. A man operated the controls for a bridge that allowed trains to cross a river. One evening as the last train approached, he turned the bridge but discovered the locking mechanism had failed. If the bridge was not locked, the train would derail and plunge into the river, killing hundreds of passengers. He rushed to the manual lever on the other side and held it with all his strength. As the train drew near, he heard his young son calling, “Daddy, where are you?” The boy was crossing the bridge looking for him. The father faced an impossible choice: save his son or save the train. In that terrible moment, he held the lever and let the train pass safely. His son was killed. The passengers never knew the sacrifice that had been made for them.

This story helps us understand the heart of our Heavenly Father. He willingly gave His Son to save us. The passengers on the train represent us — speeding through life, often unaware of the price paid for our safety. Jesus allowed Himself to be tortured so severely that He could not carry His own cross. The One who calmed storms and fed thousands stumbled under the weight of the wood that would save us. That is sacrificial love.

We see this same pattern in real life. In 1956, five young missionaries, including Jim Elliot, went to share the Gospel with the Waodani people in Ecuador. The tribe speared them to death. Yet because of their sacrifice, many others were inspired to continue the work. Jim’s sister Rachel and his son Steve later lived among the Waodani, leading many to Christ. Their willingness to lay down their lives opened the door for the Gospel in a previously unreachable people.

Jesus calls us to this kind of love. He does not ask us to die on a cross, but He does ask us to lay down our lives in smaller, daily ways like forgiving when it hurts, serving when it is inconvenient, loving when it is costly. The more we practice humility, forgiveness, and sacrificial love, the more clearly we speak the language that was our native tongue in Eden.

This week, ask yourself: Where is God calling me to love through sacrifice? Is there someone I need to forgive? Is there a need I can meet even when it costs me time or comfort? As we follow Jesus’ example, we will discover the joy that comes from giving ourselves away for the sake of love.

Where is God asking you to love through sacrifice right now? Recall a time someone showed you sacrificial love. How did it affect you? This week, what is one practical way you can practice humility, forgiveness, and sacrificial love? As you answer these questions may it help lead you to a life that glorifies God. (To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional. Check out my podcast on YouTube, called “My Faith Journey”).