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There’s a kind of love that comes easily—the kind we feel when we’re with our closest friends and family. The ones who make life feel a little lighter. The ones we’re comfortable around. The ones who fit naturally into our routines and bring out the best in us. It’s simple, familiar, and asks very little of our hearts.

But then there’s another kind of love.
One that bends low.
One that gives deeply.
One that chooses someone else’s good over our own comfort.

That kind of love is rare. It doesn’t rise up naturally within us. And yet—it’s the kind of love God shows us every single day.

The Bible tells us, “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

That’s the extraordinary nature of God—He gave His very best, asking nothing in return.

As we open our Bibles to Genesis 22, we see a foreshadow of the gospel unfold. Within it, a gift—the sacrificial love of God. Abraham’s story points forward, while Romans 8 makes the message unmistakably clear: God “did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all.” The parallels are too astounding to overlook: a father offering his one and only beloved son, the son carrying the wood on his back, a journey up the mountain, a substitute provided by God Himself, the mention of the third day, the father telling the servants that both of them would return, the son preserved as if raised from the dead, and the words spoken over it all: “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” Every detail points to one thing—the sacrificial love of God.

Let that settle into your heart for a moment.

A baby in the manger wasn’t just a sign of God’s kindness—it was the beginning of His ultimate sacrifice. The shadow on Mount Moriah became substance on Calvary. Abraham’s story was fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

And here’s a thought that meets your Monday morning:

We know where God’s heart is at, the question is—where is ours?

Sacrificial love comes with a cost.
For Abraham, it was the security of what he held most dear.
For God, it was His one and only Son.
For us, it may be comfort, control, pride, or the need to be right.

As you move into this week, keep in mind this simple question:
What does sacrificial love look like for me, today? And, am I willing to give my best?

Maybe it’s patience when irritation steps in.
Maybe it’s forgiveness where hurt still lingers.
Maybe it’s kindness no one else will see.
Or maybe it’s trusting God in a place where you’ve been afraid to trust Him in the past.

The same God who gave His Son gives us the grace to follow Him today.

This is the beauty of Christmas.
This is the gift.

This Week’s Bible Verse

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