Taking More than a Bullet: Life and Death for Others

It is the sworn duty of a secret service agent protecting the president. It is the ultimate expression of romantic love. Parents hold this in their hearts for their children.

“I would die for you.”

When it came down to it, we would be willing to put ourselves in harms way to protect and save our child, our spouse, our closest friends. How beautiful to make the greatest sacrifice!

But what about daily life? Are we willing to sacrifice ourselves in the midst of the daily drudgery – monotonous, mundane, and maddening?

Are we willing to put aside washing dishes and laundry to attend to the tugging on our “apron strings”? Are we wiling to put aside our wishes for the day to do what God has unexpectedly put before us? Can we refrain from sharing our most recent success when our friend needs us to listen to her latest marital plight?

I don’t know what it is to actually give my literal life for someone else but I have the choice everyday to lay down my own cravings and agendas and instead love and care for others. Jesus tells us in John 15:3 that, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Laying down our lives is an arduous task at times. It fills me with dread just thinking about it. Some days I feel like I’ve already given up so much; everything I have.

There are times with my five little ones that I feel like I have nothing left to give. I feel worn out. Lord, how can I lay down my life when I feel this exhausted?

Here’s the good news. We are not in this alone. We are not parenting alone. We are not loving our spouses, our neighbors, our friends by ourselves. God is with us! He gives us the strength we need and He’s faithful to love us even when our best efforts fail.

We might never take a bullet for those we love, but we seek to give up our lives: our desires, preferences, plans. We need the Holy Spirit to lead us and give us strength. He is in this with us, sisters! Do not lose hope.

Jesus gave up His life for us and now lives to intercede. Following Him leads us to die little deaths that require us to keep living and dying to ourselves, pick up our cross, pick up the floor, pick up dirty clothes. Pray for our children, our spouse, their safety, our sanity. We press on in hope.