Our breakfast table conversations are quite interesting. They range from the sublime to the ridiculous. And sometimes, we become a bit nostalgic, reflecting on all God has led us through and all we have been blessed to experience.

One morning, Judy and I began to remember the investments our parents made in our lives. Judy’s mom played a key role in ensuring Judy received the musical training that greatly shaped her life. Judy recalled the joy of taking the bus to downtown Kansas City to visit one of the main music stores to buy new piano music. Then she would go home and sight-read the difficult music. As a result of the sacrifice of her parents and Judy’s passion for her musical journey, she has been a remarkable accompanist for decades and has taught hundreds of students over the years.

My folks also sacrificed for us kids. Whether it was music lessons, educational trips, or college, they somehow made it happen. For me, it was spending several years in the Texas Boys Choir and traveling for six weeks in Europe on a concert tour. I learned through that amazing experience what it takes to be excellent…how much work is necessary to succeed at a high level. It is a lesson I have tried to apply and teach for most of my life. I still have no idea how my parents paid for all of that.

By the way…our families were not financially in the upper class. I doubt we were even middle-class. In fact, by most standards, we could have been called “poor.” Our parents were working-class people who did whatever it took to provide for us kids. We didn’t have a lot of “stuff,” that’s for sure. But our parents made sure we had what was most important…love, faith, and the essential extras that would serve us throughout our lives.

Judy and I noticed something in our morning talk. Our parents never discussed the sacrifices they made. They never said things like, “If you only knew what I’ve given up for you.” They never made us feel guilty about the good things they provided. They wanted us to have the joy, and not the guilt.

Why am I sharing this? There may be times in your life—with your family or your ministry—when you’ll need to make sacrifices for others. If you do, try to do so in a way that they have the joy of what you give, rather than feel guilty about it. Yes, there are times when others need to understand that opportunities come at a price. But that should only increase the value of what they receive, not cause guilt.

I think about our salvation, made possible by the sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus. His death on the cross brings us today’s joy, purpose, and value. While we are unworthy of such a sacrifice, we can rejoice in what the Lord has done and is doing.

Jesus saw the sacrifice as a joy. No, not the cross and all its agony…but the outcome of the sacrifice. The writer of Hebrews wanted us to understand this, as he wrote of Jesus in Hebrews 12:2.

Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame…. (NLT)

You might find you need to sacrifice something for those whom God has placed in your life, whether it’s your children or fellow workers in ministry. Do it with joy.

Then…watch what the Lord does with your quiet sacrifice.

God’s best,