CHAPTER 61
SACRIFICE: YOUR SCAR TO RISE
If you grew up with younger siblings, you will remember that time when you were little; your parents would require that you gave up something you considered too precious because your sibling wanted it. It hurt you then to always think that you should be the one giving or sharing what you had while your younger siblings had all of theirs to themselves. Your mom would always say, can’t you let that go?
This happened to me. I had two little siblings who I had to share everything I had and I still do now. However little as biscuit may be, my parents ensured I shared it into three and had them have their share or give it up entirely. Somehow the virtue stuck with me.
Every religion teaches sacrifice as a good virtue. We are taught by our religious clergies to give in support of religious, godly or societal causes. Some clergies even go ahead to tell their followers to throw all they have sacrificially as that is where the blessings arrive from. Some religions have statutory percentage of one’s wealth that should be offered in religious service.
There is truth in the fact that there is great reward for those who give. Society is filled with many needs to be met and many needy who need to be offered help. The needy and the needs have continued to increase; to check it, givers who can give sacrificially are required. Givers never lack and those who give to a just cause certainly get rewarded.
The road to great achievements is coated with so many needs that require we give something up. Those who gun for real achievement go through the road light. One can’t go up heavy so they give up what they have every time they have so that they can be light to travel up the road.
Giving is great when one has so much and to spare. We often wish we had enough so that we can spare. Often, there is never a time when there is enough. As humans, our needs are insatiable so we continually complain of money or resources as not being enough. In spite of the limitation of the wealth or resource in our disposal, we are still expected to give. This is sacrifice.
Those who have risen to the very top acknowledge that it takes so much of giving, giving quality resources that seem almost impossible within limited resource. These resources may be time, money, or any other resource that causes pain when given out.
Society tends to celebrate givers. They are called philanthropist. Many persons have had this great tag added to their name because of their persistent giving to meet the needs of people around and beyond them. In a world ravaged by poverty, sickness and war, there is a constant expectation on every capable and well meaning person to give to the cause of helping meet the needs that result from these challenges.
No achievement comes easy. No star shines without a scar. It takes years of paying the price. Sometimes one may have to go hungry, sleep very late, loan some money, or be insulted. The story to every great achievement always has some “I gave up these or that up” story as part of the bargain. Sometimes it hurts going through this horrible period of one’s life but it certainly pays.
Men such as Mark Zukenberg CEO of Facebook and Bill Gates of Microsoft, men of note who are contemporary success stories have revealed what it has taken for them to achieve the great feet they are achieving today. They always reckoned with sacrifice as the crux. They gave everything to gain everything even when giving was considered odd. Even today, both are giving to support global causes the world over.
Sacrificing isn’t really easy especially because it requires so much of all we have and everything within our means and beyond it. We are not prone to offer everything. We love to give part and hold on to part so when there is an expectation to give against our wish, we cringe. Yet there is a huge responsibility to give that all that is our best.
The extent a man sacrifices is the extent of love that he shows towards what he is sacrificing for. If you love a person or a thing, you’d be ready to give everything even beyond your means to create the needed satisfaction.
Of course, sacrifice will hurt, but if there are no scars, you will never rise.