I was reading 2 Samuel 24 and I came across a very profound statement by David regarding the nature of worship. David is offering a sacrifice to atone for his sin in taking a census of Israel. He had clearly elevated himself above the Lord and his pride had brought judgment on his kingdom. David is instructed to offer his sacrifice on the property of a man named Arunah. Since David is king, Arunah tries to give David the material and animals for the sacrifice. However, David insists on paying and replies, "I will not offer a sacrifice to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing."
This statement reminded me of how often I try to give to the Lord that which costs me nothing. Salvation is a free gift, but following Christ costs. This leads me to ask, "What is my faith costing me?" Am I willing to sacrifice my pride, anger, time, money, the desire to be right and well-liked? Even in preparing to move to Ukraine I find myself with subtle expectations.... I'll move overseas but I still expect a fairly comfortable standard of living, I expect to be healthy, safe, etc. In our daily lives it is easy to approach our faith with a consumer mentality that only makes demands on God. David reminds us that a crucial aspect of worship is sacrifice, and that self-centeredness and worship are incompatible. After all, as Martin Luther once said, "A religion that costs nothing is worth nothing."
