Is my sacrifice living?

Taken from daily devotions, 'My utmost for his highest' by Oswald chambers.

Jan 8

'Abraham built an altar...; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar...' - Gen 22:9

This event is a picture of the mistake we make in thinking that the ultimate God wants of us is the sacrifice of death. What God wants is the sacrifice through death which enables us to do what Jesus did, that is, sacrifice our lives. Not-"Lord, I am ready to go with You...to death" (Luke 22:33). But-"I am willing to be identified with your death so that I may sacrifice my life to God."

We seem to think that God wants us to give up things! God purified Abraham from this error, and the same process is at work in our lives. God never tells us to give up things just for the sake of giving them up, but He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having, namely, life with Himself. It is a matter of loosening the bands that hold back our lives. Those bands are loosened immediately by identification with the death of jesus. Then we enter into a relationship with God whereby we may sacrifice our lives to Him.

It is of no value to God to give Him your life for death. He wants you to be a 'living sacrifice'-to let Him have all your strengths that have been saved and sanctified through Jesus (Rm 12:1). This is what is acceptable to God.
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So often, my mindset is what I can do for God. But God demands obedience (Jeh 7:22-23) and a contrite heart (Psa 51:15-17). I do not feel entirely comfortable with luxuries of life and if I one day have wealth, I feel that I must give it away. From reading this devotion, I realise that I may have been habouring a wrong attitude. It's not so much about the sacrifice, but more about being a 'living sacrifice'. That means that it's more pleasing to God to not follow the evil imaginations of my heart (obedience) than to give up an entire fortune (sacrifice).

Am more and more convinced that God listens to the whispers of our heart. Just recently, I was wondering whether I would be able to see a cleaning lady whom I met when I first came back. Lo and behold, today while leaving for lunch with my parents, there she was. She was pleasantly surprised when I recognised her and she held on to my hand with a warm affection. Praise God.