Sacrificing Dignity

“He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.” (Isaiah 53:3 NLT)

Jesus suffered. He was treated like a criminal, although He was sinless. He was mocked, despised, and rejected. He was whipped, stripped, and crucified. He had the power to stop this, but He allowed it to happen. He gave up His Divine privileges and sacrificed His dignity for the sake of unconditional love.

Followers of Christ are asked to sacrifice many parts of their lives, but the most difficult thing to give up is our dignity. Each day presents camouflaged temptations to assert our status, abilities, intelligence, and independence. But these choice points can also be opportunities to make the ultimate sacrifice for God.

Here are a few examples:

--Choosing to serve God and live frugally rather than pursuing financial security.

--Choosing to allow others to take advantage of you rather than asserting your rights.

--Choosing to forgive those who hurt you, even if they are unrepentant.

--Choosing to not defend yourself against unjust accusations.

--Choosing to pay the cost for someone else’s sins.

I am not recommending that you sacrifice your dignity by making these choices. Instead, I am just acknowledging that this is what it means to be Christlike. There was a time when I saw people who voluntarily sacrificed their dignity for Christ. In my ignorance, I labeled them as foolish. Meekness in any form seemed futile. Not to mention that it encouraged injustice. I was so absorbed in the worldly point of view that I was offended by anyone who didn’t assert their rights and privileges. Now, I realize that my understanding of things is limited by my preference for self-preservation.

“By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving Him by spreading this good news.” (Ephesians 3:7 NLT)

We have been given the privilege of serving God. But this journey comes with many challenges. As we face each crossroad, we will have to choose between our wants and God’s will. Are we willing to sacrifice everything, including our dignity, to be Christlike?