“Sometimes we must sacrifice what we want for what we need”

Joseph was so busy playing his Xbox that he did not hear his best friend Alice enter his room.

“Joseph,” Alice said.

Joseph did not answer.

“Joseph!” Alice said again, only louder.

“What?” asked Joseph, not bothering to look up.

“What do you mean 'What?'” demanded Alice. “Today is Thursday. I come over to your house every Thursday for our bible study, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” answered Joseph, still not looking up from his game.

“Sooo, are you going to turn your game off so we can study?”

“No,” Joseph answered flatly. “I’m just about to beat this game. And besides, God can wait.”

“God can WAIT?!” cried Alice incredulously.

“Yeah. I mean, God has all the time in the world, right?”

“Well yes, but that's not the point. God is supposed to come first. He's way more important than your silly game.”

“SILLY GAME?!” This time it was Joseph's turn to yell incredulously. “I have been trying to finish this game for over a month now, but something always gets in the way. Chores, my homework, and now God? I don't think so.”

Alice looked at him for a moment, then she took out her bible and opened it to Hebrews 9:28.

“So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people,” she read out loud. Then she looked up at Joseph. “God sacrificed his son for you,” she said. “the least you could do is sacrifice some of your time and spend it with him.”

“But it's my time,” protested Joseph.

“And who gave you that time?” demanded Alice.

“Well God,” admitted Joseph. “But it's still my time.”

“But God saved you from your sins” said Alice. “ You owe him”

“Owe him?” asked Joseph. “I thought his love and forgiveness were free.”

“They are free,” replied Alice. “But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to repay him.”

“But I don't want to repay him,” said Joseph. “It's too hard.”

“You think giving up some of your time to God is hard?” asked Alice. She turned in her bible to the book of Leviticus. “The Israelites had to sacrifice several complicated offerings to God to repent of any sins they had committed,” she said. “There were burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and others. If they refused to offer sacrifices to God He would most likely kill them.”

“But Jesus sacrificed himself for us so we don't have to do all those offering anymore. And God's not going to kill me.”

“Maybe not,” replied Alice. “But sometimes we must sacrifice what we want for what we need. We need Gods love, we need to have a relationship with him, and to have that relationship we must sacrifice some of our time and spend it with him. Do you think we would still be friends if we never saw each other?”

Alice started to walk towards the door but stopped halfway there.

“You know,” she said, turning once more to face Joseph. “Once you start spending time with God you won't find it to be much of a sacrifice at all.” Then she turned and left.

Joseph sighed. Then he turned off his Xbox and went to find his bible.

It was time to talk to God