What does it mean to Spend yourself?
If you follow us on social media, you'll often see us call others to #spendyourself. But...what what do we mean by spend yourself? It’s simple, really. The One Body One Hope theme passage begins with Isaiah 58:10.
“If you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness
and your night will become like the noonday.”
If you read the verse carefully, you’ll realize that it includes both a challenge and a blessing (for you theological types, an “if... then” clause). It’s true that our salvation does not depend on our works, but we are also told that faith without works is dead. And scripture is pretty clear that often the place of God’s blessing is also the place of sacrificial love. We are called to love one another--not just in word, but in deed, too. We are called to spend ourselves.
It’s not always easy to spend ourselves. Sometimes we just don’t want to do it. Sometimes we don’t know how. But the Lord promises to “guide us always, satisfy our needs in a sun-scorched land, and strengthen our frame” (Isaiah 58:11) if only we will spend ourselves. It is our hope that you’ll find great joy and connection with your Savior and His work in the world as you join us in finding ways to love and live sacrificially.
