Although I'm not sure that giving up things that we are supposed to give up can really be considered sacrifice. Like my snarky attitude because I've had a bad day. Yes, I will sacrifice my grumpiness for you, my husband. You are welcome.Also, giving up something that doesn't matter to us (even if it matters to someone else) isn't really sacrifice. I will gladly sacrifice every black olive that comes across my path and give each and every one to my hubby, who loves them. Get those things away from me...I mean...sacrifice them onto his plate, please.
Under "sacrifice" in the dictionary is this: "to surrender or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else."
Not "to give up to become what we should have been in the first place."
Not "to hand over something that doesn't really make a difference to us anyway."
But to allow something of us to be set aside. Something that we value, something that has deep meaning to us, that might have been rightfully ours to hold onto and keep. Like Jesus, who was God and had every right to hold a position of authority. He knew he was supposed to give up his rightful place. He sought humility instead of power, allowing great injury to himself for the sake of us.
Sacrifice is going to look different for each of us; we have to pay attention to God and how he's leading us. But here's the kicker: God's not going to take the thing we are each called to sacrifice. We have to be the ones to give it up, to permit it. It most surely will hurt in some way, and most definitely put us at a disadvantage, at least in the way the world looks at it. But if we allow God to use us through sacrifice, it will always be for the sake of drawing us and those around us more fully into his love.