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Sacrifice Essay Writing Guide

Academic writing

Essay paper writing

Sacrifice is a phenomenon that is largely lacking in modern society. In the era of consumer philosophy and selfish goals, people tend to forget about acts of kindness that bring not material but moral satisfaction.

It is important to draw the attention of schoolchildren and students to a topic of sacrifice by assigning them to write academic papers on this topic. Young people can express their views and share experiences regarding parental unconditional love, spiritual growth through sacrifice, and examples of sacrificing in family and social relations.

If you are looking through this article right now, you probably have to perform a similar task. If this is the case, we recommend reading the whole article as you will surely find some useful tips on how to write about sacrifice.

Sacrifice essay topics ideas

Got lost among essay ideas? Check out the list of the best ones to make a final choice:

Parents’ sacrifice essay
“My sacrifice” essay
Essay on whether or not you need to sacrifice for love
Essay about sacrifice in love and when it becomes unhealthy
Essay about family sacrifice
Essay about love and sacrifice in literary works
Reasons for self-sacrifice essay
“Sacrifice and bliss” essay
Essay on importance of self-sacrifice in different cultures
Essay about making sacrifices to better the world
“Sacrifice of a teacher” essay
Human sacrifice essay
“Importance of sacrifice” essay
Ultimate sacrifice essay

Topic ideas for informative essay on sacrifice

Writing an informative essay about making sacrifices, consider focusing on one of the following:

Different kinds of sacrifices that people make
“What is sacrifice?” essay
Self-sacrificing personality type
Ritual sacrifice essay
Sacrificial moral dilemmas
“What does sacrifice mean?” essay
Chronic self-sacrifice and its influence on mental health
Essay about mothers’ sacrifice
Soldiers’ sacrifice essay
Essay on sacrifice definition and etymology
“Sacrifice in sport” essay

How to write essays on sacrifice?

The majority of students have to write essays on a regular basis. The main thing is not just to write some information on the topic in question but also to make it interesting and attract the attention of a potential reader starting from the first sentence. We have prepared all the useful information on essay writing so that you can craft a decent paper.

The following details should be taken into account while writing an essay about sacrifice:

The topicality of the problem under consideration. The issues raised should be relevant to the modern world or interesting if you are writing about a history of the subject.
Personal opinion. You will need to explain your stance on the problem and back it up with information you have found in the literary sources.
Small volume. There are no strict boundaries when it comes to the length of an essay, but 2-5 pages of text will likely be enough. Ask your professor about the word limit or simply request a rubric if you aren’t sure.
Narrow focus. Only one issue or problem may be considered within the framework of the essay. There cannot be many different topics or ideas discussed within one assignment as you will not be able to cover any of them properly.

Sacrifice essay outline

In general, the essay has quite a specific structure:

Sacrifice essay introduction. This part should set the mood of the whole paper, bring the reader’s attention to the issue under consideration, and consequently prompt him or her to read the text to the end. The most important aspect of intro is a thesis statement, which bears the main idea you are going to discuss.
The main part. Here, it is necessary to elaborate on the points put forward in a thesis statement using factual information found in credible sources. However, you should not operate with facts alone – add your analysis of what you have read and address the contradictions in sources if any. Please note that you need to devote at least one paragraph to each point made in the thesis to effectively cover it.
By summarizing what has been said in the main part, you will draw a general sacrifice essay conclusion. If the goal of the introduction is to attract attention, then that of the conclusion is to ensure integrity of the overall paper and leave no doubts about the legitimacy or viability of the ideas expressed in the body of the paper. How to wrap up an essay about sacrifice so that your reader has a good impression? Leave him or her some food for thought!

Brainstorming sacrifice essay titles

The last thing you need to do after you are done with your paper is create a good title for a sacrifice essay. At this point, you will already know the subject under the research perfectly, which will make it easier to come up with a short title that will show what exactly you have reviewed in the paper. Use your thesis statement to guide yourself, and think about some common phrases people use when talking about the topic to rework them into your title.

How to write a sacrifice essay: Best tips

Speak you mind. This particular type of writing gives you an opportunity to say what you really think about the topic. Make your voice heard in your sacrifice essay!
Mind your language. It’s very important to find a balance as your language should be neither too scientific nor too elevated. Slang words are not acceptable as well – try writing as if you are having a conversation with your professor and are trying to sound convincing.
Spend some time researching. Whether it’s a sacrifice research paper or an essay, you need to focus a lot of your attention on finding credible sources. So, conduct some research on sacrifice topic on the Web and try reading journal articles rather than news or blog posts.
Proofread your writing. After writing the first draft, let it rest for a day or two and then proofread it with a fresh eye. This will help you spot more mistakes, inconsistencies, or lack of transition between ideas and paragraphs.
Mind the formatting. A properly formatted essay will probably win you a good impression. Ask your teacher what style of formatting you have to stick to and follow all the requirements to the letter.

Writing a narrative essay on sacrifice

A narrative essay about sacrifice is a story about some event experienced by a writer or another person. A narrative essay is usually written in the artistic style. This means that it is necessary to use all the diversity of the English vocabulary. You can add conversational elements and descriptions to paint a clearer picture of what is going on to the reader.

In order to write a high-quality narrative essay, you need to follow these simple steps:

Select the event or a person which you are going to write about;
Think about the mood and the main idea of the future story;
Recall in memory all the necessary details about this story and write them down in bullet points to use later;
Create a well-detailed outline. Make sure it includes introduction (background), main part, culmination, and conclusion.
Use the dialogue or separate replicas, elements of description, etc., which will help you to present the course of events in a more realistic way and humanize the characters.

If you are writing a narrative essay on personal sacrifice, be careful not to overshare. You need to understand how much information you professor is comfortable with you sharing, and it is best to ask them what is acceptable and what is not before you proceed. If you are narrating a story of your friend or relative, make sure you have gotten their permission to do so, and, preferably, inform your professor that you did. Check some samples of a narrative essay about a family member sacrifice to see how such information can be conveyed.

There is a bunch of different topics pertaining to sacrifice that you might write an essay on. Whatever the topic is, you do not have to worry. It is quite easy to write a top-notch essay if you have sufficient information and know the basic rules of writing academic papers.

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The Theology of Sacrifice

Other essays.

The biblical idea of sacrifice concerns the way of approach to God, finding acceptance before him by means of an acceptable substitute offered in place of the sinner and bearing the curse of sin.

This essay surveys the idea of sacrifice through the Old Testament in order to determine its intended significance. Next, this essay surveys the significance of the saving death of Christ as it is presented in these sacrificial categories. Special attention is given to Hebrews 9–10.

Introduction

The idea and practice of sacrifice is prominent throughout the biblical narrative. There is at least a hint of it as far back as Genesis 3:21, where God provides coats of skin for Adam and Eve. In Genesis 4:2-5 we read of the sacrifices offered by Cain and Abel, who presumably learned of the practice from Adam and Eve. We then read of sacrifices offered by Noah (Gen. 8:20), Abraham (Gen. 12:7-8; 13:4, 18; 22:13), Isaac (Gen. 26:25), Jacob (Gen. 31:54; 33:20; 35:1-7; 46:1), and Job (1:5; 42:8). In Exodus and Leviticus, of course, the theme explodes. God delivers Israel from Egypt so that they may go and offer sacrifice to him (Exod. 3:18; 5:3, etc.; cf. 17:15), and it is by sacrifice, in fact, that they are delivered (Exod. 12). And in Exodus 20ff and in Leviticus God gives Moses detailed instructions for establishing and carrying out the sacrificial system that was to mark Israel’s worship under the terms of the old covenant. Various kinds of sacrifices were to be offered (the burnt offering, the guilt offering, the sin offering, the peace offering) at various times and for various specific purposes. Coming to the New Testament the practice of sacrifice is much less prominent, but the language of sacrifice dominates with reference to the death of Christ. Our objective here is to uncover the meaning and significance of sacrifice in the Old Testament in order better to discern the saving value of the death of Christ as explained by the New Testament writers.

Sacrifice in the Old Testament

As already observed, the idea of sacrifice begins in the early chapters of Genesis at the dawn of history. The significance tied to the coats of skin provided for Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21) is not immediately evident but can be understood more fully only by looking back from later revelation. All we can say at this point is that God covered their shame in a way that involved death.

Likewise the significance of the respective offerings of Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:2-5) is not immediately evident. We are told only that Cain’s offering was “an offering of the fruit of the ground” (v. 3), that Abel’s was “of the firstborn of his flock” (v. 4), and that the Lord “had regard for” (i.e., accepted) Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s (vv. 4-5). Assuming that Cain and Abel learned the idea and duty of offering to God from their parents (Gen. 3:21) we might further conjecture that Cain’s offering was a departure from the norm, but with no more information than we are given at this point this is just conjecture. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews repeats that Abel’s sacrifice was accepted and adds that it was offered “by faith” and that by it Abel was “commended as righteous” (Heb. 11:4). So much seems implicit in the Genesis narrative, but we must survey further revelation to see just how it is so.

The precise purpose of Noah’s sacrifice (Gen. 8:20-21) is not explicitly stated, only that “the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma” and promised continued blessing. This notion of “pleasing aroma” surely does not indicate that the smoking meat “smelled good” but that God was pleased with what the sacrifice signified and so on that basis promised blessing. The idea of satisfaction is not far away, but we will need further revelation to confirm this.

In Genesis 22 God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac in sacrifice. Before the sacrifice was actually carried out, however, God provided a ram to die in Isaac’s place. Here the idea of divinely-provided substitution is prominent (cf. John 3:16; Rom. 8:32).

Although Job’s sacrifices (1:5) are not precisely defined we are told that they were offered to God because of sin. Likewise it was because of the sins of Job’s friends and God’s consequent anger against them that they were commanded to offer sacrifice (42:7-8). Here it is rather explicit that sacrifice is for the purpose of appeasing divine wrath against sinners.

In the command to sacrifice the Lamb of Passover (Exod. 12) the notion of sin is presumed, and the ideas of substitution (v.3, 13), rescue from divine judgment (v.12, 23), the necessity of blood (v.13, 22) become prominent. By the sacrifice of a qualified lamb whose blood was properly applied each Israelite household escaped the death of God’s judgment.

With God’s instructions concerning sacrifice given in Leviticus the theme begins to receive more explicit definition. The repeated occurrence of “sin” and phrases such as “if anyone sins” (or similar) and “for sin” scores of times throughout the book and the requirement that sacrifices be offered “confessing sin” all specify that it is sin that occasions the sacrifices and gives rise to their need. The descriptive terms “guilt offering” and “sin offering” and the requirements that the sacrifice itself be “without blemish” are reflective of the same. Similarly, the often repeated vocabulary of “atonement” ( kaphar / exilaskomai , indicating propitiation, appeasement ) and “forgiven” specify their purpose. Leviticus 5:10 serves well to summarize: “the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.” On the Day of Atonement the priest was required to “lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins” (16:22). This symbolic action was to signify the transference of sin to the animal who, in turn, would “bear all their [Israel’s] iniquities on itself.” Elsewhere in Leviticus this oft-repeated expression “bear sin” consistently connotes responsibility for sin and liability to judgment (5:1, 17; 7:18; 10:17, etc.; cf. Isa. 53:12; 1Pet. 2:24). The killing of the animal thus signifies the divine judgment that sin merits. The symbolism of laying hands on the sacrificial animal, confessing sin, and then the ritual slaughter of the animal therefore conveys the idea of deliverance by substitution. Forgiveness is secured by substitutional sacrifice. Finally, the repeated assurance that the sacrifice was a “pleasing aroma to the Lord” symbolizes God’s satisfaction with the sacrifice and acceptance of the sinner.

Observations

Old Testament sacrifice was intended to signify more than mere homage. The significance was that of securing forgiveness, expiation of sin, through the offering of a substitute. The offeror is not portrayed as a mere creature but specifically as a sinner, a sinful creature in need of forgiveness. The offeror comes with a consciousness of sin seeking restoration to God’s favor by means of the acceptable sacrifice. The sacrificial victim itself is an intermediary, a substitute providing expiation. It bears the sin of the worshiper who receives forgiveness by that substitutional sin-bearing.

All this is to say that it belongs to the very nature of sacrifice that it is directed first to God. That is, it is designed to influence God, to appease him and satisfy his demand of judgment, and it is only with this satisfaction secured that the worshiper finds forgiveness.

The prominent ideas in Old Testament sacrifice are sin, guilt, and judgment on the one hand and satisfaction, expiation, forgiveness, and reconciliation on the other.

Sacrifice in Old Covenant Context

In its historical setting these sacrifices were provided in order to answer the question, How can a holy God live in the midst of a sinful people? In redeeming Israel from Egypt and in establishing them as a theocratic nation at Sinai (the old covenant) God had made Israel his own people. He pledged to be their God and to dwell with them accordingly. But how can his holy presence among sinners be established? The sacrificial system was given to answer this problem.

Of course there are questions that necessarily remain. Can an animal actually take the place of a man or woman? Can the blood of an animal actually atone for the sin of a nation? And if the sacrifices do indeed secure God’s favor and forgiveness, why must they be repeated?

The New Testament will take up these kinds of questions, but at the very least we can say that the Old Testament sacrificial system established the structure and frame of reference with regard to God’s redemptive purpose: Sinners may obtain divine favor if an acceptable substitute could be found to offer to God in sacrifice.

The Death of Christ as a Sacrifice

All this provides the background for the New Testament’s frequent description of the death of Christ in sacrificial terms; indeed, it cannot be understood otherwise. When Jesus himself and the New Testament writers employ language such as “give my life a ransom,” “ransom in his blood,” “by his blood,” “the blood of his cross,” “my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins,” “reconciled by his blood,” “justified by his blood,” “propitiation by his blood,” “through the death of his cross,” “made peace through the blood of his cross,” “Christ our Passover has been sacrificed,” “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God,” “him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,” “the lamb which takes away sin,” “he bore our sin,” “was made sin for us,” “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having been made a curse for us,” and so on, they direct us to understand our Lord’s death in sacrificial categories. The terminology of propitiation, ransom, redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation, all find their meaning against the backdrop of Old Testament sacrifice.

All this teaches us just how it is that Jesus’ death effected our salvation. Our Lord’s death was that of a sacrifice. On the cross he offered himself to God in our place, bearing our sin and its deserved judgment; thus satisfying God’s just demands against us he frees us from our sin and reconciles us to God. All that the Old Testament sacrifices symbolized the Lord Jesus actually accomplished in his saving work. The former sacrifices were symbolic and anticipatory of what was actual in Christ’s offering of himself on our behalf. Just as the Old Testament sacrifices were directed first to God (propitiation) in order then to effect expiation, so our Lord’s death was offered to God (Eph. 5:2; Heb.9:14). His sacrifice of himself for his people was in God’s estimation “a fragrant offering” (Eph. 5:2) effecting propitiation (Rom. 3:24; Heb. 2:17; 1Jn. 2:2; 4:10), satisfying his just demands and thus appeasing his wrath and, in turn, expiating sin. Just as through the sacrifice of the Day of Atonement the people of Israel were, in the person of their representative priest, brought behind the curtain into the holy of holies, so also through the death of Christ we are brought into the very presence of God (Heb. 10:19-20; cf. Matt. 27:51; John 2:19-21).

On the one hand, then, we may speak of the Old Testament sacrifices as prospective, anticipating and symbolizing the saving work that Christ would actually accomplish in his death (Heb. 9:9; 10:1; cf. Col. 2:17). To say the same another way, the writer to the Hebrews specifies that the older sacrifices were in fact “copies” of the “true” sacrifice that Christ offered (Heb. 8:2, 5; 9:23-24; cf. 9:11-12). That is, Jesus’ sacrifice is the “original,” the reality – ultimately, his sacrifice was not patterned after the Old Testament sacrifices; rather, they were patterned after his coming sacrifice – the true sacrifice of which they were but a distant shadow.

Hebrews on the Sacrifice of Christ

The writer to the Hebrews highlights in several ways how the sacrifice of Christ excels the sacrifices of the old covenant.

Christ’s sacrifice was offered only once (9:6-7, 11-12, 25-26, 28; 10:1, 10-12, etc.). The older sacrifices had to be repeated over and again, year after year. This would leave the thinking worshiper with doubts as to their real value (10:2-4), with little reason to assume that even the repeated offering of an animal could satisfy God or remove human guilt? The happy announcement of the gospel is that the sacrifice of Christ was of such value that it needed to be offered only once for all. Christ’s saving work is a finished work (cf. John 19:30), accomplished “once for all.”
Christ’s sacrifice effected forgiveness (9:9-10, 12; 10:1, 4, 11, 18). Sin was the problem addressed in sacrifice – it demanded removal. The repetition of the older sacrifices testified to their inability to deal with sin with finality. They were inadequate. The sacrifice was not of sufficient value. But our Lord offered himself (9:12, 13, 26), a sacrifice of supreme value (cf. Heb. 1-2), effectual in removing sin. Again, what the older sacrifices only anticipated the sacrifice of Christ actually accomplished, and it is therefore able to “purge the conscience” (9:14) of guilt.
Christ’s sacrifice was accepted in heaven , the true temple (8:2, 5; 9:1, 9, 11-12, 23, 24; 10:1). That is to say, it was not prospective of anything. It did not symbolize or anticipate the accomplishing of atonement. Accepted by God himself, in the true temple, forgiveness is assured.
Christ’s sacrifice gained access to God (Heb. 9:7-8; 10:19-22). The old sacrificial system was designed to demonstrate that the way to God is not just open to anyone on any terms (v. 8). There must be a qualified priest and an acceptable sacrifice offered in an acceptable way. Even so, the people at large must stay back – only the high priest had access into the holy of holies and that just once a year and by a prescribed ceremony of sacrifice. We must not presume. It is a fearful thing to approach the holy God. But by the sacrifice of Christ the way now is open. All who come by him, on the ground of his sacrificial work, are accepted (cf. Matt. 27:51; John 2:19-21).

At the climax of this discussion the writer draws several applications, marked by the word “therefore”:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works (Heb. 10:19-24).

That is, if the sacrifice of Christ, offered once for all, was accepted in heaven itself, effecting forgiveness and gaining access to God, then let us be bold , confident in approaching God assured of our acceptance. Let us be confident , assured of our acceptance there with unwavering faith. Let us persevere through any difficulty with confidence of our final salvation, and let us encourage one another to the same.

Concluding Thoughts

The theme of sacrifice, then, takes us to the heart of the gospel and the essence of the Christian faith.

In a very real sense it [the theme of sacrifice] constitutes Christianity. It is this which differentiates Christianity from other religions. Christianity did not come into the world to proclaim a new morality and, sweeping away all the supernatural props by which men were wont to support their trembling, guilt-stricken souls, to throw them back on their own strong right arms to conquer a standing before God for themselves. It came to proclaim the real sacrifice for sin which God had provided in order to supersede all the poor fumbling efforts which men had made and were making to provide a sacrifice for sin for themselves; and, planting men’s feet on this, to bid them go forward. 1

Why People Make Sacrifices for Others

In 2007, 50-year-old Wesley Autrey of New York City was standing on a subway platform when he saw a man nearby suffer a seizure and fall onto the tracks. As the light of an oncoming train appeared, “I had to make a split decision,” reported Autrey.

Leaving his two young daughters on the platform, he leapt in front of the train and pinned the man to the ground as the train rumbled overhead, saving the man’s life. When asked later why he risked his life for a stranger, Autrey replied, “I did what I felt was right.”

What explains the feeling that drove Mr. Autrey to endanger himself in order to help someone else?

A recent study led by Oriel FeldmanHall, a post-doctoral researcher at New York University, tested two dominant theories about what motivates “costly altruism,” which is when we help others at great risk or cost to ourselves.

FeldmanHall and her colleagues examined whether costly altruism is driven by a self-interested urge to reduce our own distress when we see someone else suffering or whether it’s motivated by the compassionate desire to relieve that other person’s pain.

In the study, the researchers first had people take a survey measuring how strongly they react to others’ suffering with feelings of compassionate concern or with feelings of personal distress and discomfort.

Then, they gave everyone some money—20 pounds (the study was conducted in the UK)—with the chance to keep or lose one pound in each of 20 rounds.

How much money they got to keep each round depended on how willing they were to administer painful shocks to a person in another room with whom they had interacted briefly. If they chose to administer the highest intensity shock, they got to keep the whole pound; if they administered a less intense shock, they kept less of the money; and if they decided to forgo administering a shock at all, they relinquished the entire pound.

After making their decision, the study participants watched a video showing the consequences of their decision. Unbeknownst to the participants, the video was actually a pre-recorded scene of the person pretending to be shocked or not shocked—no one was actually harmed. Through each step of the process, the participants’ brains were being scanned in an fMRI machine, which tracked their brain activity.

FeldmanHall’s team found that participants who generally respond to suffering with compassionate concern (rather than distress or discomfort) gave up more money. While watching the results of their decisions, all participants showed increased activity in brain circuits associated with empathy.

However, compared with the other participants, when the more compassionate people watched videos showing the outcome of their own generosity—people being shocked at low levels, or not at all—their brains showed greater activity in regions associated with feelings of pleasure and socially rewarding states, like maternal love.

More selfish choices, on the other hand, were associated with activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), a brain region often implicated in distress related to internal conflict and the inhibition of intuitive behaviors, and of the amygdala, the brain’s putative vigilance-to-threat detector.

From these results, the researchers surmise that acts of costly altruism are more strongly associated with feelings of compassionate concern than with a selfish need to relieve one’s own distress. This is consistent with prior research suggesting that when people experience distress in response to someone else’s suffering, they’re more likely simply to avoid that person than try to help.

Fortunately, prior research also suggests that compassion isn’t simply a fixed trait; instead, it seems possible to increase your capacity for it over time—for instance, by broadening your social networks, actively trying to take someone else’s perspective, or even by meditating. Through these steps, you might not only strengthen your ability to connect with others, but as FeldmanHall’s study suggests, you might also strengthen your capacity for selflessness.

About the Author

Josh elmore.

Joshua Elmore is an undergraduate psychology student at UC Berkeley and a scholar with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. He is also a research assistant for the Greater Good Science Center and the Relationships and Social Cognition Lab at UC Berkeley.

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Essays on Sacrifice

Faq about sacrifice.

Essay on Sacrifice or Success

Students are often asked to write an essay on Sacrifice or Success in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Sacrifice or Success

What is sacrifice.

Sacrifice means giving up something valuable for the sake of other considerations. People often sacrifice their time, money, or personal desires to achieve bigger goals. For students, sacrificing playtime to study can lead to good grades.

What is Success?

Success is reaching a goal or achieving something you have aimed for. It can be getting good grades, winning a game, or learning a new skill. Success makes people happy and proud of their achievements.

Link Between Sacrifice and Success

Sacrifice and success are closely linked. To succeed, one often needs to make sacrifices. For example, athletes train hard, sacrificing their leisure time to win competitions. Similarly, students study hard, giving up playtime to excel in exams.

In conclusion, sacrifice is essential for success. By giving up something in the short term, people can achieve greater goals in the long term. This teaches us the importance of hard work and dedication in achieving success.

250 Words Essay on Sacrifice or Success

Sacrifice and success: a delicate balance, the price of success.

The path to success is rarely easy. It demands hard work, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to our goals. We may have to sacrifice our time, our comfort, and even our relationships in order to achieve what we set out to do. The road to success is paved with challenges, setbacks, and moments of doubt. It is in these moments that we must make the choice between perseverance and surrender.

The Rewards of Success

While the journey to success may be arduous, the rewards can be incredibly fulfilling. The sense of accomplishment that comes from achieving our goals is unparalleled. Success can bring us financial stability, recognition, and a sense of purpose. It can open up new opportunities and allow us to live a life that is truly meaningful to us.

Finding the Balance

The key to a fulfilling life is finding a balance between sacrifice and success. It is important to set goals and work hard towards them, but it is equally important to remember that life is not just about achievement. We need to make time for relationships, hobbies, and other activities that bring us joy and fulfillment. Success should never come at the expense of our well-being or our values.

In the pursuit of success, it is important to remember that sacrifice is an inevitable part of the journey. However, it is equally important to prioritize our well-being and find a balance between our ambitions and our personal lives. True success lies in achieving our goals without compromising our values or sacrificing our happiness.

500 Words Essay on Sacrifice or Success

Sacrifice: the path to success.

Achieving success in any field often requires sacrifice. It means giving up something of value in order to gain something else that is seen as more important. Sacrifice can take many forms, such as devoting time and energy to a particular goal, making financial investments, or taking risks.

The Importance of Sacrifice

Balancing sacrifice and well-being.

While sacrifice is important, it is also important to find a balance between sacrifice and your own well-being. If you push yourself too hard, you may experience burnout or other negative consequences. It is important to take care of your physical and mental health, and to make sure that you are getting enough rest and relaxation.

Success: The Result of Sacrifice

Success is the achievement of a desired goal or outcome. It can be measured in many ways, such as financial wealth, fame, or recognition. Success is often seen as the ultimate goal of human endeavor. However, it is important to remember that success is not always easy to achieve. It often requires hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.

The Value of Perseverance

The role of luck.

Luck also plays a role in success. Sometimes, people achieve success through a combination of hard work and good fortune. However, it is important to remember that luck is not the only factor that determines success. Even if you are lucky, you still need to work hard and make sacrifices in order to achieve your goals.

In conclusion, sacrifice and success are closely linked. Sacrifice is often necessary in order to achieve success. However, it is important to find a balance between sacrifice and your own well-being. Success is not always easy to achieve, but it is possible with hard work, dedication, and perseverance.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

The Heroism and Sacrifice at Hacksaw Ridge: a Story of Courage

This essay is about the Battle of Hacksaw Ridge during World War II and the extraordinary heroism of Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector who served as a combat medic. It highlights the brutal conditions of the battle, the strategic importance of the Maeda Escarpment, and the immense courage displayed by Doss. Despite his refusal to carry a weapon due to his religious beliefs, Doss saved approximately 75 men under heavy fire, demonstrating an unparalleled commitment to his principles. The essay also reflects on the broader themes of sacrifice, perseverance, and the various dimensions of heroism, emphasizing the impact of Doss’s legacy on our understanding of bravery and moral conviction in wartime.

How it works

Part of the greater Battle of Okinawa in World War II, the Battle of Hacksaw Ridge is a stunning example of the human spirit is tenacity, bravery, and moral conviction. This combat, which took place in the Pacific Theater between April and June 1945, was among the deadliest and most vicious exchanges. Desmond Doss’s incredible bravery in the midst of the turmoil and slaughter caught the attention of the world and served as a light of humanity and hope at the darkest of times.

Hacksaw Ridge, a steep, jagged cliff on the island of Okinawa, was a strategic point that the American forces needed to capture from the entrenched Japanese defenders. The ridge itself, officially known as the Maeda Escarpment, was fortified with a complex network of tunnels and bunkers, making it a formidable obstacle. The battle for this ridge was fierce and relentless, characterized by intense artillery bombardments, hand-to-hand combat, and a staggering number of casualties.

In the midst of this ferocity, Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector and combat medic, performed acts of valor that seemed almost superhuman. Raised in a devout Seventh-day Adventist family, Doss held strong religious beliefs that forbade him from taking lives or even carrying a weapon. Despite this, he felt a profound duty to serve his country and enlisted as a medic, determined to save lives rather than take them. His decision was met with skepticism and hostility from his fellow soldiers, who doubted his usefulness and even viewed him as a liability.

However, Doss’s actions during the Battle of Hacksaw Ridge would forever change their perceptions. On May 5, 1945, amidst a ferocious Japanese counterattack, Doss’s unit was ordered to retreat. Despite the overwhelming danger, Doss refused to abandon the wounded. Working tirelessly and with utter disregard for his own safety, he repeatedly ventured into the battlefield, dragging injured soldiers to the edge of the ridge and lowering them to safety using a rope sling he had devised. By the end of that day, Doss had single-handedly saved an estimated 75 men.

Doss’s heroics were not just a matter of physical bravery but also of deep moral conviction. He often prayed for strength and guidance as he faced each perilous mission, embodying a remarkable blend of faith and courage. His unwavering commitment to his principles, even in the face of death, earned him the Medal of Honor, the first time this highest military award was given to a conscientious objector.

The significance of the Battle of Hacksaw Ridge extends beyond Doss’s incredible story. It highlights the broader themes of sacrifice, perseverance, and the brutality of war. The battle was a pivotal moment in the Pacific campaign, contributing to the eventual Allied victory over Japan. The heavy casualties on both sides underscored the immense human cost of the conflict and the profound impact on the soldiers who fought and the civilians caught in the crossfire.

Furthermore, Hacksaw Ridge serves as a powerful reminder of the varied dimensions of heroism. While traditional narratives of war valor often focus on acts of aggression and combat prowess, Doss’s story emphasizes the courage found in compassion and the strength required to uphold one’s moral beliefs in the most challenging circumstances. His legacy challenges us to reconsider our definitions of bravery and to honor the diverse ways individuals contribute to collective endeavors, especially in times of crisis.

In popular culture, the Battle of Hacksaw Ridge was brought to life in the 2016 film “Hacksaw Ridge,” directed by Mel Gibson. The movie vividly portrays the harrowing conditions of the battle and Doss’s extraordinary deeds, bringing his story to a global audience. While dramatizations inevitably involve some creative liberties, the film remains a powerful tribute to Doss’s legacy and the historical significance of the battle.

In conclusion, the Battle of Hacksaw Ridge is a poignant chapter in World War II history, marked by intense combat and profound human sacrifice. Desmond Doss’s acts of heroism amidst this chaos exemplify the highest ideals of bravery, compassion, and unwavering moral conviction. His story reminds us that even in the most harrowing circumstances, the human spirit can rise above fear and hatred, offering a glimpse of hope and humanity in the midst of war’s devastation.

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Student Essays

Essay on Sacrifice | Types, Value & Importance of Sacrifice in Life

The concept of sacrifice is central to many religious traditions and also has an important place in secular societies. It is often considered a noble thing: The word “sacrifice” comes from the Latin sacrificium, which meant the performance of sacred rites in exchange for something or on someone’s behalf. This etymology implies that sacrifices are performed for the sake of something else, and usually to please a god or spirit.

Essay on Sacrifice & its Importance in Life

Sacrifice is a word with many meanings. In everyday usage, it refers to any event in which someone gives up something that he or she values highly for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. It can be defined as an act of giving up something highly valued, but it also means the surrendering of goods and property.

It is an act or instance of surrendering something, for example a battle or one’s life, especially to the enemy under the compulsion of direst necessity. It is an inconvenience or difficulty that causes someone to suffer so as to achieve a desired result.

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Types of Sacrifice

Personal sacrifice – this means sacrificing for other people rather than sacrificing for self. Personal sacrifices can be made through giving time, energy or money Personal sacrifice usually involves doing things that do not benefit you at all but give you inner satisfaction about helping others. The second type of sacrifice is religious sacrifice, which is associated with piety.

This type of sacrifice is mainly practiced at temples or places of worship. It involves offering items such as food, money or other valuables to please a god or an idol in the hope of getting some thing valuable in return for example prosperity and good luck in life. The third one is sacrifice in war which means giving up something very important for your country i.e., your people’s safety by sacrificing your life for them.

Finally, the fourth type is self-sacrifice which means giving up something of yours without any hope of getting anything valuable in return i.e., example when you give your life to save others or you jump before a moving train so that the people behind you can live their lives happily.

Value of Sacrifice in Life

In life, we need to put some value on things, if you want something more valuable in return for a less valued thing you sacrifice it. Example: when we go shopping with our mom and we see the most beautiful dress we ever saw in our lives and we really like it and ask our mothers can I buy that?

And she says no, because you have a lot of clothes at home and if we buy that one dress now, then we will need to sacrifice something else which was much valuable or needed more. Sacrifice is a way to distribute limited resources across competing needs.

Importance of Sacrifice

Sacrifice means to make a sacrifice and offering up. It can be an animal, goods or property that is sacrificed. A sacrifice may also mean that you put forward your own interests in favor of someone else’s interest or well-being. The act of sacrificing something such as time, comfort, money etc., for the sake of achieving something more important.

Example of sacrifice is you are hungry and want some delicious food, but your mother wants you to study for exams, so the benefit of getting the delicious food goes out of window as you choose to study.

Benefits of Sacrifice

It mean that something more valuable will be achieved through sacrificing what is less valued or giving up something. In an employee’s point of view, they perform extra work in order to receive a promotion or a reward, the reward is something valuable it means you don’t have to sacrifice but receive more valuable things in return.

In the corporate world, you have to put yourself ahead of your company and do some very hard tasks that others may not do, this is because it will make you more valuable and help your company to grow. For achieving something valuable or increasing the value of an object we need to sacrifice something.

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Sacrifices take place in almost every field of life, from the corporate world to religious places. Sacrifice is a way to get more valuable rewards by means of giving up something less valued for it. In today’s time we see everything seems to be getting expensive and difficult for us that our basic needs are no longer fulfilled, because we spend most of our money on some unimportant things that has no benefit to us. A lot of self-sacrifice is required in order to bring some changes in our lives, be it the personal life or the professional life.

Friendship is a place of sacrifice—and sanctification

There is a way of praising friendships that unintentionally undermines them. We often picture friendship as our refuge—romantic relationships bring drama, work brings hassle, family is chaos, but with friends you can relax. You’re understood. Friendship is “The Golden Girls,” where every tiny comic tiff is resolved by the end of the half-hour. Friendship is sweet because friendship is easy. Friendship is safe, because friendship is too small to really hurt you.

This is not the only Christian model for friendship. It isn’t even the most obvious Christian model. The greatest friendships in the Bible are sites of sacrifice. Jonathan, having made a covenant of friendship with David, gladly sacrifices personal safety, his relationship with his father and the kingship. Jesus identifies friendship with discipleship and with his own sacrifice for us on the cross, in Jn 15:13-15 (of course it’s in John, the Gospel of the “beloved disciple”): “No one has greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” That model, in which friendship can be the site of our sanctification because it is a site of sacrifice, animates much of St. Aelred’s dialogues, Spiritual Friendship . For Aelred, friendship is sweet (he himself was called a “honeycomb” because of his tenderness toward his monks) but it also requires painful honesty, loyalty in spite of faults and selfless love.

‘Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close’ by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman offers a defense of sacrificial friendship.

As contemporary secular writers notice how attenuated our concept of friendship has become and look for ways to build lives where friendship is central, they are also rediscovering the sacrifices common to deep friendships. A new book, Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close , by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, gives one of the best defenses of sacrificial friendship I have read in a long time.

Sow and Friedman ditched the comfort-food ideal of friendship long ago. They can write honestly about the beauties of friendship because they have also confronted some of its pain. Much of the book discusses how friends “stretch” you—and stretching hurts as it strengthens. In a glossy, hashtaggy voice, Sow and Friedman describe what it is like to live friendship for better and for worse. They sometimes sound like Insta influencers, but their questions go beyond the advice-column staples (“How can I make friends in my 30s?”) into cultural critique of the marginal role friendship plays in our institutions and imaginations: “It can be extremely hard to figure out the right amount of growth and sacrifice to be devoting to a friendship, because we’re not taught that friends are worth stretching for at all.”

Sow and Friedman are echt millennials. They started “the first culturally relevant policy nerd blog.” Their envisioned reader relates to dismissive references to the Eucharist (Friedman was raised Catholic) and thrills to the words of “This American Life.” But beyond the blank, unholy podcast of it all, being millennials means they are attuned to the economic pressures on modern friendship. They know how crucial a friend’s love and admiration is when unemployment makes you feel worthless. They found their own friendship strained by work and the distance they had to move to find work; they know they were only able to repair their bond because they had more money and leisure than many in their generation.

St. Aelred distinguishes between “carnal” and “spiritual” friendship, but he understood that at least at the beginning, most of us mingle the two.

Big Friendship opens with this friendship—once so close that they got matching tattoos of interlocking circles—already on the rocks. Sow and Friedman have booked a spa weekend together in the hopes that tandem mud baths will rekindle that BFF spark. When the weekend fails, the pair go to actual couples therapy for their friendship.

It was so easy at the start! St. Aelred distinguishes between “carnal” and “spiritual” friendship, but he understood that at least at the beginning, most of us mingle the two. Sow and Friedman bonded over trashy TV and cute handbags, but they also shaped one another in deeper ways: Together they learned to comfort, to encourage, to listen, to forgive and to seek forgiveness. They became “inextricable.”

Sow and Friedman were there for one another through mourning and chronic illness. The love and understanding they offered one another helped them learn what to look for in romantic relationships. They had keys to each other’s apartments. They were each other’s emergency contact.

Sow and Friedman were there for one another through mourning and chronic illness.

Much of the language they had for this inextricability was borrowed from romantic partnerships: “We gave wedding gifts jointly, signed, ‘Love, the Sow-Friedmans.’” Partly this is just because many forms of love resemble one another. Sow and Friedman even had their own limerence, the early period of obsessive infatuation that the lovestruck sometimes suffer. But partly we struggle for ways to explain the depth of a “big friendship” because these relationships have been pushed out of the public sphere: Friendship is for children; but once you can reach the YA shelves, messy love triangles are where it’s at.

Sow’s experience of chronic illness exposes some of the features of modern friendship that make it at once vulnerable and resilient. Friedman couldn’t be there for her physically because she had taken a job on the other side of the country. She sent care packages and urged Sow to video chat, but as Sow felt helpless in the face of pain, Friedman faced her own helplessness against distance. When I talk to people who are seeking to build lives centered on friendship, this is one of the central concerns they raise: What if one of us has to move? Most friendships will not function as an economic unit, and so friends are more likely than spouses to be separated by distance.

But friendships have the advantage that, unlike marriage, they are not exclusive. Some people will always have one BFF, but others will be able to bring several people into an equal intimacy. When Friedman could not be at Sow’s bedside, Sow’s friend Shani could; their relationship too seems familial. In the acknowledgments Sow writes, to Shani, “I know that you are my home.”

Supporting the “friendweb” trains you to put your friend’s needs first, not your own insecurity or fear.

Sow and Friedman urge friends to support one another’s other friendships. Supporting the “friendweb” trains you to put your friend’s needs first, not your own insecurity or fear. Friedman longed to be with Sow when she was hospitalized—but instead she learned to be grateful that others could take care of the woman she loved.

Their most Insta-friendly term is “Shine Theory”: “I don’t shine if you don’t shine.” This phrase is their proverb against envy. It is their version of the motto of America’s first Black women’s club, the National Association of Colored Women, “Lifting as we climb.” And it is also a declaration that friendships strengthen our other commitments and loves: “Without friends, it’s much harder to get through periods of family transition, like the death of a parent, the arrival of a baby, or an estrangement from a sibling.” Against the idea that we have limited resources to spend on love, they argue that our friends make it possible for us to give more in all the other areas of our lives.

If friendship can be so life-sustaining, how did it become so limited and marginal? Sow and Friedman talk to the historian Stephanie Coontz, who says that friendship slowly came to seem like a threat to the emerging ideal of “companionate marriage.” Basically, if your husband is supposed to be your best friend, your BFF becomes a distraction. And as Western cultures increasingly identified intimacy with sexuality, all same-sex love started to look too much like homosexuality. Coontz is right that homophobia damaged same-sex friendship; if we want more life-shaping friendships, we need to create communities where people are not scared to be thought gay. But Coontz’s account starts too late—in the 16th century, when public honor for friendship was already fading fast. Looking earlier would uncover two different models of love that could illuminate what Sow and Friedman have experienced together.

In the ancient world, pairs of men or women could promise lifelong love and companionship.

In the ancient world, pairs of men or women could promise lifelong love and companionship. They could merge their families. We see this in the Iliad, when two warriors refuse to fight one another because their grandfathers swore friendship, and in the Hebrew Bible in the vows of David and Jonathan and the promises of Ruth to Naomi. Alan Bray’s 2006 The Friend explores the public promises medieval and early modern friends could make to become kin. Sometimes these bonds were called “wedded brotherhood,” which “the Sow-Friedmans” might appreciate. These older models suggest that friendship could take on greater public meaning without losing its private sweetness.

These bonds were exclusive: David had only one vowed friend. To understand the jealousies and sweetnesses of the “friendweb,” we might turn to a different model, the monastery. In the Cistercian monastery where Aelred penned Spiritual Friendship , friendship was both sacrificial and down-to-earth: Aelred was popular enough that he had to manage his friends’ jealousy, their tendency to say, as the character Walter does in Spiritual Friendship , “Gratian has had sufficient attention.” (“Walter” was based on a real monk, who wrote Aelred’s biography and is endearingly proud of being the jealous guy from Spiritual Friendship .)

Sow and Friedman’s biggest insights are the focus on healing rifts between friends—and the attention to the specific challenges facing interracial friendships. Seemingly small racial slights become microcosms of all the ways that Sow, who is Black, has to guard herself in friendships with white people. She dreads what Big Friendship calls “the trapdoor,” the moment in which the white friend will side with the white world. And after some such “incident” comes the fear that even mentioning it will get you accused of overreacting. Silences replace safety—until an outside event forces a painful reckoning.

Big Friendship handles race adroitly. It is less well-equipped to handle the complexities of upward mobility.

Big Friendship describes in detail this reckoning in Sow and Friedman’s friendship. Friends may fear that honesty about the hurts and disappointments of even a deep interracial friendship will weaken the friends’ bond. Sow and Friedman, by contrast, show that accountability, listening, apology and reconciliation strengthen friendships—and make possible the honesty that is another name for intimacy. This is true in spite of the “harsh reality” that the “stretching” isn’t equal in these friendships: “It’s likely that the nonwhite friend is going to feel more negatively stretched, while the white friend gets to have a ‘learning experience.’”

Big Friendship handles race adroitly. Its peppy social-media voice is less well-equipped to handle the complexities of upward mobility. Sow and Friedman, having experienced some of the precariousness of the contemporary economy, treat material success as an uncomplicated good rather than as a source of moral danger. St. Aelred says “friendship...cushions adversity and chastens prosperity.” But Sow and Friedman show only the first. Out of friendship they “assured each other that it was OK to want more, to ask for more”—but is that still what you need once you have become the boss?

“Shine Theory” attempts to offer upward mobility to everyone, but money is privilege, and privilege cocoons. The richer you get, the harder it is to offer intimacy, understanding and realistic support to friends who have less money. Sow and Friedman note this dynamic in the celebrity friendship of Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King, but their ideal of mutual empowerment bars them from naming power as a temptation.

For models of sacrificial, chastening friendship, Sow and Friedman might turn to fictional meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. The characters in Dan Barden’s 2012 neo-noir The Next Right Thing know friendship is more duty than choice for them. Without the bonds forged in the rooms, they will die.

AA’s Fifth Step, in which an alcoholic shares with one other person “the exact nature of our wrongs,” shapes the novel’s plot. On a symbolic level it becomes a kind of sacrament of friendship. To receive someone’s worst self is an honor; to share your own is a necessity. Both roles are pledges of lifelong love.

The Fifth Step is a chronicle of abuse of power. It is a reminder that the biggest friendships are the ones that remind you, as they say “in the rooms” of AA, to stay right-sized.

Eve Tushnet is the author of Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality , Finding Community, Living My Faith and Punishment: A Love Story .

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Sacrifice: An Unexpected Answer to Family Challenges

"In this world, it is not what we take up, but what we give up that makes us rich." –Henry Ward Beecher

Michael Ruse and Julie Dodger had been engaged for six months, but the closer they got to the wedding, the more concerned they were about the marriage. Julie was willing to move to a new location, and Michael was willing to attend all of her family gatherings. When they did the math, it should have worked out. But according to Julie, Michael didn’t earn enough, didn’t listen well enough, and didn’t compromise. And according to Michael, Julie was intolerant, disorganized, and high maintenance. They worried that their differences were irreconcilable.

Through discussion, Michael and Julie came to realize that although their problems were very real, their strengths were real as well, and they showed those strengths best when they sacrificed for one another. Julie felt like it was easier to appreciate Michael when she cleaned her apartment for him and when she forgave his imperfections, and Michael knew from experience that his love for Julie grew when he sacrificed his evening sports show to hear about her day. By focusing on sacrificing for each another, the couple gained the courage to move forward in their relationship. They learned that mutual love grows as we serve and sacrifice for each other.

A Contrary Culture

The couple was surprised at first that a simple principle like sacrifice provided a solution to their problems. We can understand their skepticism. American culture doesn’t value sacrifice as much as it values individuality. Self-care and science are the songs of our day, not sacrifice!

But perhaps what we need is the simple reminder of the truth spoken by Jesus: “[H]e that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39).

The Great Paradox

There is a certain inevitability that as one struggles to foster someone else’s growth, one’s own growth, in one way or another, is also fostered. –Dag Hammarskjold 1

Sacrifice is a willingness to “forego immediate self-interest to promote the well-being of a partner or relationship”. 10 We frequently see this kind of sacrifice in family relationships. Consider these examples:

Parenting Relationships : A new mother sacrifices much-needed sleep in order to feed her hungry infant.

In the case of childrearing, sacrifice is not just a nicety—it is a necessity. The Family: A Proclamation to the World describes some important parental sacrifices:

Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

Marriage Relationships: A husband sacrifices his weekend plans with friends to take his wife on a date.

Marriage requires a lot of sacrifice. Fortunately, sacrifice is easier for people who are united. “For those individuals who have a strong sense of couple identity..., and are therefore more interested in the well-being of the couple unit than their own individual gains, it is theorized that acts of sacrifice will be easier because they do not feel like they are as much of a sacrifice”. 11 When a couple feels committed and unified, sacrifice is a blessing rather than a burden.

Family Relationships: A child sacrifices his lunch money for his younger sister when she forgets hers.

Children benefit from the sacrificial examples of their parents. As recipients of their parents’ sacrifices, they also learn how to sacrifice. In this way, sacrifice makes it more likely for family members to reciprocate good behaviors. The result is a more generous, hospitable home atmosphere.

A Responsibility and a Reward

Sacrifice is so common in family life that we often fail to notice it. Sacrifice can be active (doing something against your own inclination in order to please someone you love) or passive (not doing something that you’d like to do in order to please someone you love). It may seem costly at times, but sacrifice is a gift with many rewards.

Research shows that greater sacrifice leads to happier, longer-lasting relationships. Scholars include it with other “transformative processes” like forgiveness, commitment, and sanctification. Though the reasons why sacrifice is so important to families have not all been identified, some researchers have noted that “sacrifice has surplus value, yielding positive consequences for the partner above and beyond any direct impact on experienced outcomes”. 10 Rather than leaving us empty, sacrifice actually makes us full.

Motive Matters

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity . . . ( 2 Corinthians 9:7 ).

Not all sacrifice is created equally. People can sacrifice with two types of motives:

Approach motives seek to obtain positive outcomes. For example, a man could buy flowers for his wife because he loves her and wants her to be happy.

Avoidance motives seek to avoid negative outcomes. For example, the same man could buy flowers for his wife for Valentine’s Day because he knows that she would be mad if he didn’t.

Research shows that approach motives are better than avoidance motives. It’s easy to see why. The man who buys flowers for his wife because he loves her will be happy about the gift. He’ll probably feel like a better husband, and he will be confident that his wife will return the affection that he feels for her. In contrast, the man who buys flowers for his wife to avoid her wrath probably feels a little stressed, having to tiptoe around her. He might be mad about the money that it costs, and he will expect her to be ungrateful or undeserving of the gift. Rather than bringing the couple together, sacrificing with avoidance motives has the potential to drive them further apart. Giving sacrifice willingly (with approach motives) is far more beneficial than giving grudgingly.

Learning to Sacrifice

Learning to sacrifice is more than a to-do list. Since motivation matters, sacrifice must be delivered with an attitude of love and appreciation. It is less of an action than it is a process of becoming. So although the following suggestions may help, remember that sacrificing requires a change of heart, and not just a change of behavior:

Sacrificial Speech: Sometimes sacrifice means biting your tongue. When your partner or child makes a negative remark, don’t respond unkindly. Instead, select a calm and caring reply. This is called accommodation or editing.

Sacrificial Stance: Researchers recommend that rather than focusing on how our family members can change, we should shift our attention to something that we have more control over, such as how we can bless them. In the spirit of President John F Kennedy, we ask not “what can this person do for me?” but “what can I do for this person?”

Sacrificial Sight: Change your heart by changing your perspective. Researchers suggest that we should focus on the things that we want to create in our relationships rather than things that we want to avoid. See family members’ needs and interests as important as your own, and notice their strengths rather than their weaknesses.

Sacrificial Savoir-Faire: Savoir-faire is the ability to act with grace and tact. Sometimes this requires sacrifice. Choose your battles wisely and be willing to set aside personal interests when they conflict with couple or family well-being.

Written by Jenny Stewart, Research Assistant, edited by Justin Dyer and Stephen F. Duncan, professors in the School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.

Bahr, H. S. (2001). Families and self-sacrifice: Alternative models and meanings for family theory. Social Forces, 79(4), 1231-1258.
Burr, W. R., Marks, L. D., Day, R. D. (2012). Sacred matters: Religion and spirituality in families. New York, NY: Routledge.
Cherlin, A. J. (2004). The deinstitutionalization of American marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family , 66(4), 848-861.
Fincham, F. D., Stanley, S. M., Beach, S. R H. (2007). Transformative processes in marriage: An analysis of emerging trends. Journal of Marriage and Family , 69, 275-292.
Fowers, B. J. (2000). Beyond the myth of marital happiness: How embracing the virtues of loyalty, generosity, justice, and courage can strengthen your relationship . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hinckley, G. B. (1971, June). Except the Lord build the house . Ensign.
Impett, E. A., Gable, S. L., & Peplau, L. (2005). Giving up and giving in: The costs and benefits of daily sacrifice in intimate relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(3), 327-344.
Pargament, K., Zinnbauer, B., Scott, A., Butter, E., Zerowin, J., & Stanik, P. (1998). Red flags and religious coping: Identifying some religious warning signs among people in crisis. Journal of Clinical Psychology , 54(1), 77-89.
Stanley, S. M., Whitton, S. W., Sadberry, S. L., Clements, M. L., Markman, H. J. (2006). Sacrifice as a predictor of marital outcomes. Family Process , 45, 289-303.
Van Lange, P. M., Rusbult, C. E., Drigotas, S. M., Arriaga, X. B., Witcher, B. S., & Cox, C. L. (1997). Willingness to sacrifice in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 72(6), 1373-1395.
Whitton, S., Stanley, S., & Markman, H. (2002). Sacrifice in romantic relationships: An exploration of relevant research and theory. In A. L. Vangelisti, H. T. Reis, & M. A. Fitzpatrick (Eds.), Stability and change in relationships (pp. 156-182). Cambridge, UK: University Press.

The popular and professional literature seems to miss the real sources of strength in marriage: the shared goals, the necessary struggles and sacrifices, the calm joy of teamwork, and the comfort in two people carrying out mundane tasks together. All of these elements forge the profound bonds that characterize strong marriage. –Blaine Fowers, Beyond the Myth of Marital HappinessMichael and Julie’s experience illustrates that sacrifice can be a positive influence in family life. The couple was surprised at first that a simple principle like sacrifice provided a solution to their problems. We can understand their skepticism. American culture doesn’t value sacrifice as much as it values individuality. Society places such a large emphasis on self-fulfillment and independence that scholars call modern marriage the “individualized” marriage. 3 Although individuality isn’t necessarily bad, too much focus on self can lead us to forget about sacrificing for others, which leads to families being less effective. In addition, sacrifice is usually seen as a religious rather than an academic principle. Self-care and science are the songs of our day, not sacrifice! But things are changing, and sacrifice is gaining importance in the academic world. It came onto the scene almost by accident. In 1998, a team of researchers discovered that sacrifice has positive outcomes. People who sacrifice are happier and have a better outlook on life. 8 Although it may seem strange that giving oneself away makes a person happier, both research and religion teach us that this is true. In Christian tradition, we are most familiar with the words of Jesus: “[H]e that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39).

The Sacrifice Paradox

There is a certain inevitability that as one struggles to foster someone else’s growth, one’s own growth, in one way or another, is also fostered. –Dag Hammarskjold 1 Sacrifice is a “willingness to forego immediate self-interest to promote the well-being of a partner or relationship”. 10 We often see this kind of behavior family relationships. For example, a new mother sacrifices sleep to feed her baby. A husband sacrifices his weekend plans with friends to take his wife on a date. Or a child sacrifices his lunch money for his younger sister when she forgets hers. Sacrifice is so common in family life that we sometimes fail to notice it.

Sacrifice can be active (doing something for someone you love) or passive (not doing something in order to please someone you love). Scholars call sacrifice a “transformation of motivation” because it changes how we relate to others. We replace self-interested desires with concern for the people we are with. 7 Rather than leaving us empty, sacrifice actually makes us full.

Research shows that greater sacrifice leads to happier, longer-lasting relationships. 10,9 Scholars include it with other “transformative processes” like forgiveness, commitment, and sanctification. 4 Though the reasons why sacrifice is so important to families have not all been identified, some researchers have noted that “sacrifice has surplus value, yielding positive consequences for the partner above and beyond any direct impact on experienced outcomes”. 10 However it works, it is obvious that it does work!

Family relationships provide countless opportunities to sacrifice. Parenting, in particular, requires more sacrifice than most relationships. In the case of childrearing, sacrifice is not just a nicety—it is a necessity. The Family: A Proclamation to the World describes some important parental sacrifices:Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.Husbands and wives have important responsibilities to each other and to their children. Fortunately, sacrifice is easier when spouses are unified. “For those individuals who have a strong sense of couple identity . . . and are therefore more interested in the well-being of the couple unit than their own individual gains, it is theorized that acts of sacrifice will be easier because they do not feel like they are as much of a sacrifice”. 11 Mature individuals realize that caring for one’s spouse is actually to one’s own benefit because doing so fulfills a deep human need to belong and to nurture. Sacrifice thus becomes a blessing rather than a burden.Children benefit from the sacrificial examples of their parents. As recipients of their parents’ sacrifices, they learn how to sacrifice in return. In this way, sacrifice makes it more likely for family members to reciprocate good behaviors. The result is a more generous, hospitable home atmosphere. 11

To care about someone . . . means devoting them to the person and taking joy in doing so; in the end, one feels richer for one’s efforts, not poorer. –Tzvetan Todorov. 1 Not all sacrifice is created equally. Researchers often categorize sacrificial behaviors as having one of two motives: 7

Approach motives seek to obtain positive outcomes. We call them “approach motives” or “appetitive motives” because the purpose of sacrifice is to gain a reward. For example, a man could buy flowers for his wife because he loves her and wants her to be happy. He is using approach motives because he is seeking the reward of his wife’s happiness and well-being.

Avoidance motives seek to avoid negative outcomes. Avoidance motives (or “aversive motives”) are so-named because the goal is to avoid some sort of punishment. For example, the same man could buy flowers for his wife for Valentine’s Day because he knows that she will be mad if he doesn’t. He exemplifies avoidance motives because he is seeking to avoid her anger.

Research shows that approach motives are better than avoidance motives. 7 It’s easy to see why. The man who buys flowers for his wife because he loves her will be happy about the gift. He’ll probably feel like a better husband, and he will be confident that his wife will return the affection that he feels for her. In contrast, the man who buys flowers for his wife to avoid her wrath probably feels a little stressed, having to tiptoe around her. He might be mad about the money that it costs, and he will expect her to be ungrateful or undeserving of the gift. Rather than bringing the couple together, sacrificing with avoidance motives has the potential to drive them further apart.

Emily Impett and her colleagues did a study to show the importance of sacrificing for the right reasons. They asked 161 college students to keep a daily journal. For two weeks, students wrote about their romantic relationships and their sacrificial behaviors, including whether or not they were sacrificing for avoidance or approach reasons. The results were impressive:

“On days when participants sacrificed for avoidance motives, they experienced more negative emotions, lower satisfaction with life, less positive relationship well-being, and more relationship conflict…Further, the more often participants sacrificed for avoidance motives over the course of the 2-week study, the less satisfied they were and the more likely they were to have broken up 1 month later…” . 7

Impett’s findings echo a common theme in the Bible: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity” ( 2 Corinthians 9:7 ). Given grudgingly, sacrifice doesn’t benefit the giver or the receiver nearly as much as when it is given willingly. 10 Approach motives and avoidance motives boil down to the principle of sincerity. Approach motives tend to be sincere, while avoidance motives tend to be insincere. Sincere, heartfelt sacrifice benefits both the giver and the receiver. Author Philip Hallie helped explain why sincerity is prerequisite to sacrifice:

[There is a fundamental distinction] between giving things and giving oneself. When you give somebody a thing without giving yourself, you degrade both parties. But when you give yourself, nobody is degraded . . . both parties are elevated by a shared joy. When you give yourself, the things you are giving become . . . féconde (fertile, fruitful). What you give creates new, vigorous life”. 1

Rather than feeling degraded or used when they sacrifice, people who sacrifice with approach motives (sincerely trying to bless someone else) actually feel like beneficiaries. They profit from the possibility of reciprocation, from feeling needed and useful, and from growing to know what is needed and how to meet those needs. 1

To Make Sacred

Sacrifice has found acceptance in academics, but it is also an important religious principle. The roots of the word sacrifice literally mean “to make sacred”. 2 A team of Brigham Young University scholars explored the link between sacrifice and sacredness. They found that “perceiving parts of family life to be sacred gives them a unique, unusually powerful, and salient influence in families… [Thus] the greater the sacredness of sacrificing, the more unique, powerful, and salient the effects of the sacrificing are on other family processes and valued family outcomes”. 2

So, for people who believe that sacrifice is a sacred principle (of special, even transcendent, significance), sacrifice in family life may be more meaningful. For example, the man who believes that fatherhood is a divine duty will probably be more willing to sacrifice work hours for time with his children than the man who thinks little of his fathering efforts. When sacrifices made in the home are considered sacred, we expect individuals and families to sacrifice more often and with purer motives, leading to better family outcomes. We thus recommend that couples and families view sacrifice from a sacred lens, and see family life as directly benefited by religious beliefs.

Sacrificial Speech: Sometimes sacrifice means biting your tongue. When your partner or child makes a negative remark, don’t respond unkindly. Instead, select a calm and caring reply. This is called accommodation or editing. 1
Sacrificial Stance: Researchers recommend that rather than focusing on how our family members can change, we should shift our attention to something that we have more control over, such as how we can bless them. 9 In the spirit of President John F Kennedy, we ask not “what can this person do for me?” but “what can I do for this person?”
Sacrificial Sight: Change your heart by changing your perspective. Researchers suggest that we should focus on the things that we want to create in our relationships rather than things that we want to avoid. 7 See family members’ needs and interests as important as your own 1 , and notice their strengths rather than their weaknesses.
Sacrificial Savoir-Faire: Savoir-faire is the ability to act with grace and tact. Sometimes this requires sacrifice. Choose your battles wisely and be willing to set aside personal interests when they conflict with couple or family well-being. 10

Word of Warning

Sacrifice is wonderful for families, but it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Research says that sacrifice is most helpful when it is voluntary, when it is given in moderation, when it is reciprocated (given in return), and when it is accompanied by commitment. 9 Sacrifice could easily become harmful if given in the wrong ways. Consider the following circumstances and note how sacrifice could be unhealthy:

Allie and Mark have been married for three months. They love each other, but Mark feels like Allie asks too much of him. She gives him a “honey-do” list every Saturday, and she is constantly nagging him to do things her way. He is happy to do whatever it takes to make theirs a happy marriage, but sometimes he wishes that he could do things for her without being pushed into it.

Mark’s sacrifices would better if he didn’t feel pushed to sacrifice. Remember, the most beneficial sacrifice is given willingly, with approach motivations rather than with avoidance motivations. Allie could help the situation by being less demanding, more grateful, and by doing a good turn for Mark on a more frequent occasion.

Although Melissa is smitten with her boyfriend, her family is not so fond of him. They affectionately call him “Dan the Dud.” Mel has been dating him for nearly 18 months now, and she does everything she can to convince Dan to marry her. She regularly sacrifices social events and school demands to spend time with him, but he doesn’t seem to reciprocate. In reality, she knows that he really is a dud. She is convinced that things would be better if they were married.

Melissa is right in one respect—sacrifice and commitment do go hand-in-hand, though it is foolish to believe that Dan’s behavior will change after they get married. Research shows that for men especially, long-term commitment is related to greater willingness to sacrifice. 9 Sacrifice is always most advantageous when it is reciprocated. Only then can sacrifice contribute to a relationship climate of mutual support and generosity.

Karen and Tanner have three children. Karen has a giving heart, and she rarely considers her own needs. She spends so much time serving her family that she sometimes finds herself crashing, feeling exhausted and burned out. Tanner tries to convince her to take a break to rejuvenate, but she feels guilty about taking care of her own needs.

The answer to Karen’s problem is moderation! Moms are especially susceptible to burn-out. The problem isn’t sacrifice, but how much sacrifice. We all have finite capacities, and we can only give from what we have—in time, energy, or materials. Even mothers have limits. When Karen replenishes herself, she will be more effective in sacrificing and serving others.

Church leader Gordon B. Hinckley wisely defined love in sacrificial terms: “True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well-being of one’s companion”. 6 Current research and personal experience support Hinckley’s words. When it comes to family relationships, sacrifice is the vital key to individual happiness and family unity. Kenneth Boulding said it well: “[W]ithout the kind of commitment or identity which emerges from sacrifice, it may well be that no communities, not even the family, would really stay together”. 1

Bahr, H. S., & Bahr, K. S. (2001). Families and self-sacrifice: Alternative models and meanings for family theory. Social Forces, 79(4), 1231-1258.
Cherlin, A. J. (2004). The deinstitutionalization of American marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66(4), 848-861.
Fincham, F. D., Stanley, S. M., Beach, S. R H. (2007). Transformative processes in marriage: An analysis of emerging trends. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69, 275-292.
Fowers, B. J. (2000). Beyond the myth of marital happiness: How embracing the virtues of loyalty, generosity, justice, and courage can strengthen your relationship. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hinckley, G. B. (1971, June). Except the Lord build the house . Ensign .
Pargament, K., Zinnbauer, B., Scott, A., Butter, E., Zerowin, J., & Stanik, P. (1998). Red flags and religious coping: Identifying some religious warning signs among people in crisis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54(1), 77-89.
Stanley, S. M., Whitton, S. W., Sadberry, S. L., Clements, M. L., Markman, H. J. (2006). Sacrifice as a predictor of marital outcomes. Family Process, 45, 289-303.

A Godly Endeavor

"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." –Matthew 10:39

Joseph Smith taught the early saints that a “religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary to salvation” (Lectures on Faith, 6:5). For the pioneers, sacrifice meant wooden handcarts and wintry treks. Today we have no physical journeys to make in offering. What then can we give? The very definition of sacrifice is to “[give] to the Lord whatever He requires of our time, our earthly possessions, and our energies to further His work”. 4 Today there is no godly work more pressing than the interests of home and family.

In face-to-face communion with God, Moses learned that work and glory of God is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). If we want to engage in God’s work, then our mission, like His, is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. How better to promote immortality and eternal life than in a family, where human life is created and eternal principles are taught? Indeed, the family is the setting that God instituted for individuals to learn, develop, and lay hold on immortality and eternal life.

In the Family Proclamation

Although The Family: A Proclamation to the World doesn’t refer to sacrifice in word, the principle is woven throughout. Consider the following instructions from the Proclamation, and notice how sacrifice is a guiding principle in our relationships with children, spouse, extended family, and with our Father in Heaven.

Sacrificing to Marry & Bear Children: The Proclamation has much to say about the sanctity of marriage and parenthood. We learn first that couples are to “multiply and replenish the earth,” and that “children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony.”

Couples may think it is costly to set aside their personal pursuits and worldly endeavors in order to build a family, but we know that marriage and family are worth any price. President Benson taught that “[n]o sacrifice is too great to have the blessings of an eternal marriage . . . By this act of faith, we show our love to God and our regard for a posterity yet unborn”. 2 It requires faith to choose to marry and bear children even when school schedules, careers, and finances get in the way. Fortunately, our Heavenly Father provides divine assistance. When we sacrifice for His purposes, He endows us with power from on high and blesses us with commandments to keep us safe and happy.

Sacrificing for Spouse: The Proclamation instructs that “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children” and to “help one another as equal partners.” They are also to “[employ] the sacred powers of procreation … between a man and a woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife” and to “honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”

Loving and caring for one’s spouse as an equal partner sometimes means foregoing personal interests. Maintaining chastity and fidelity sacrifices natural man carnal urges for the eternal joys of a covenant bond. These sacrifices ultimately provide couples with greater intimacy, affection, and unity.

Sacrificing to Raise Children: The Proclamation describes specific sacrifices that are required of mothers and fathers: “Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live . . . By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.”

Parenting is not for the faint-hearted! Raising children is the very heart of sacrifice, demanding a total consecration of one’s time, talents, and interests. All other demands outside the home take second-place to the sacred tasks of providing, presiding, protecting, teaching, and nurturing children.

Sacrificing for Family Members: The Proclamation says only a little about extended family, but it teaches an important responsibility. “Extended families should lend support when needed,” it says.

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” asked Cain (Genesis 4:9). We know from the teachings of Jesus Christ that we are our brother’s keepers. We covenant to “bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light” (Mosiah 18:9). This obligation is most important within our immediate and extended family units.

Sacrificing for Our Heavenly Father: The Proclamation helps us see that family life is happier when we do things God’s way. We learn that “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”

Implicit in the Family Proclamation is the need to sacrifice to God. We choose to do family life in His way, sacrificing some of our own ideas and trusting that the instruction that He provides is the best ways to raise our families.

Blessings and Burdens

Sometimes the demands of family life don’t seem worth the effort. Mothers sacrifice sleep, sanity, and self-interests to nurture their children. Fathers put in forty-hour workweeks to provide for their families. It isn’t always easy to obey laws of tithing, church attendance, chastity, missionary service, or the Word of Wisdom. Yet we believe that it is to our benefit to suspend our personal desires to act in the interest of Heavenly Father’s divine purposes.

To those who tire of giving, remember that the sacrifices are not without reward. Blessings often come as burdens in disguise. President Ezra Taft Benson taught that “[Our] blessings will exceed any sacrifice [we] have made. We can never get the Lord in debt to us.” 2 So central is the role of sacrifice to our happiness that President Harold B. Lee said, “I [am] persuaded of one great truth: Whenever the Lord has a great blessing for one of his children, he puts that son or daughter in the way to make a great sacrifice”. 2 Let us sacrifice willingly, and so reap the rewards of earthly peace and eternal salvation.

Sacrifice yields rewards that far outweigh the costs. It may be in this way that God “reaps where he sow[s] not” (Matthew 25:26). Just as one small seed produces many pieces of fruit, so sacrifice multiplies in effect. It is infectious, and promotes a pattern of generosity among family members. The climate that prevails in a home where individuals willingly sacrifice for each other is one of trust, love, and mutual affection.

Note that not all sacrifice is created equally, however. When we give begrudgingly of our time or resources, we may cause more harm than good. Indeed, scriptures teach us that gifts given without real intent “profiteth [us] nothing” (Moroni 7:6-8). When we give willingly, sacrifice becomes a reward in its own right. It is a blessing rather than a burden.

United and Selfless

Unity is the champion of sacrifice, and selfishness is its destroyer. President Benson recommended that we replace selfishness with sacrifice:

“One of Satan’s greatest tools is pride: to cause a man or woman to center so much attention on self that he or she becomes insensitive to their Creator or fellow beings. It’s a cause for discontent, divorce, teenage rebellion, family indebtedness, and most other problems we face. If you would find yourself, learn to deny yourself for the blessing of others. Forget yourself and find someone who needs your service, and you will discover the secret to the happy, fulfilled life”. 2

Sacrifice is less of an action than it is a process of becoming. A change of heart is required. As we cultivate a giving heart, sacrifice can become the natural way to live virtuously.

"The principle of sacrifice should be taught in every Latter-day Saint home and should be practiced in many simple yet important ways." 1

–Elder M. Russell Ballard

Sacrifice is a lofty principle, but it is best expressed in ordinary settings. Consider applying sacrifice in some of the following ways:

Sacrifice the impulse to anger. Speak kindly to family members when they speak or behave in unbecoming ways.
Sacrifice time spent in personal pursuits to spend time with a family member.
Sacrifice your negative perceptions for more flattering views of others; rather than magnifying faults, look for the good in family members.

Elder Robert D. Hales taught this principle when he advised that “The secret of a happy marriage is to protect the Achilles’ heel and not take advantage of the weaknesses of those you know the best, love the most, and ultimately can hurt the most.” 3

Give gifts to family members; gifts could include material goods, service, attention, or time.
Sacrifice your personal hurts in exchange for healing. Forgive generously and refuse to take offense when wronged.
Teach your children to sacrifice. Your example of willingness to sacrifice for Heavenly Father through obedience to the commandments is one of the greatest gifts you can give.

The Wise Gift

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf 6 reminds us to “forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice. Good sacrifices give in exchange for something of far greater worth, while lesser sacrifices give in exchange for something of negligible value. He compares the good sacrifice of a parent giving up sleep to soothe a child after a nightmare with the foolish sacrifice of a mother staying up all night to make the perfect accessory for her daughter’s Sunday dress.

“Every person and situation is different, and a good sacrifice in one instance might be a foolish sacrifice in another. How can we tell the difference for our own situation? We can ask ourselves, ‘Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?’ There are so many good things to do, but we can’t do all of them. Our Heavenly Father is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for something far greater with an eternal perspective.”

The Atoning Sacrifice

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for [our] brethren."

–1 John 3:16

The scriptures remind us that “the great and last sacrifice” is not of man, but is an infinite and eternal sacrifice (Alma 34:10). Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our earthly sacrifices would mean nothing. Because Jesus Christ overcame death and hell, family relationships are eternal, and we know that our small daily sacrifices will benefit our families now and into eternity. Elder M. Russell Ballard reminds us of the central and pivotal role of our Savior’s sacrifice:

“Having power over life and death, He chose to submit himself to pain, ridicule, and suffering, and offered His life as a ransom for our sins. Because of His love, He suffered both body and spirit to a degree beyond our comprehension and took upon Himself our sins if we repent. Through His personal sacrifice, He provided a way for us to have our sins forgiven and, through Him, to find our way back into the presence of our Heavenly Father”. 1

Sacrifice is central to our Eternal Father’s plan for families. Our small daily sacrifices act as reminders of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. We will develop greater reverence for the Savior’s atonement when we thus act in his similitude. When we sacrifice at home, we remember that “This is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal” (Alma 34:14).

Written by Jenny Stewart, Research Assistant, and edited by Stephen F. Duncan, professor in the School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.

Ballard, M. R. (1992, May). The blessings of sacrifice . Ensign.
Benson, E. T. (1979, May). This is a day of sacrifice . Ensign.
Hales, R. D. (2011, September). A little heaven on earth . Ensign, 45-49.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (2009). Gospel principles . Chapter 26: Sacrifice, 149-154.
The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (1995, November). The family: A proclamation to the world . Ensign, 102.
Uchtdorf, D. F. (2011, October). Forget me not . Ensign.

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Understanding Sacrifice

1 of 2 series: sacrifice.

Next The Ultimate Sacrifice

April 30, 2019

In modern society, the subject of sacrifice is alternately applauded or denigrated. Sacrifice, as a denial of self for the benefit of others, is considered a great human ideal. On the other hand, the supposedly enlightened 21st century mind delights to ridicule the idea of blood sacrifice in the context of sin against God.

Regardless of society’s attitude, however, those who consider the Bible an accurate record of God’s message to mankind will have a robust appreciation for the concept of sacrifice. Furthermore, all who believe its message will recognise that sacrifice is a core belief, basic to the relationship between God and man. The following consideration of this theme will seek to explore the following points about sacrifice: its source in God as a response to man’s sin, its systematization prior to Christ in the law of Moses, its fulfilment in Christ’s death as the ultimate answer to the hostility between God and man, and its bearing on believers now there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

Source of Sacrifice

One does not have to read far through the Bible to find sacrifice. In Genesis chapter 3, God’s idyllic creation suffered the intrusion of sin, and God’s image bearers were culpable. Adam and Eve, the stewards of God’s creation, had chosen to disobey His will and side with the devil in serpent form. The immediate consequence of their action was clearly delineated by God: “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). What did they understand by death? At the very least, they learned that day that sin would ruin their open relationship with God: Genesis chapter 3 shows that their disobedience made them both afraid and ashamed in His presence. Knowing God’s daily practice of meeting with them, they attempted to cover their nakedness with fig leaves and hid from His presence. The spiritual fellowship they had enjoyed with God was broken.

The narrative elucidates various ideas which are basic to the biblical concept of sacrifice. The nature of sin and its consequences (severing their relationship with God) is seen in this primal event.

God’s justice required satisfaction, while His wrath (His measured response to sin) demanded appeasement.

A dam and Eve’s failed attempt to cover their shame and escape God’s presence illustrates human inability to meet these requirements. On the other hand, God’s grace is seen in His provision for their need; the only way their relationship could be restored was by another’s death – a substitutionary death in which an innocent party bore their judgment. Their understanding of death, the terrible consequences of their own sin, must have been heightened as God took the life of an animal, not only to satisfy His justice and appease His wrath but also to cover their shame. The animal’s death in their place was crystallized in the provision of coats of skin (Genesis 3:21). They were physically covered by the results of a sacrifice. It is clear, therefore, that, in acting on their behalf, God Himself originated the whole idea of sacrifice.

At the same time, Genesis chapter 3 closes by demonstrating the inadequacy of animal sacrifice. Although their spiritual relationship with God had been renewed, the man and his wife were now fallen creatures unable to handle the knowledge of good and evil. Their propensity to sin meant God had to bar them from the tree of life lest they live forever in this condition (Genesis 3:22). The following chapters trace death and the corrupting power of sin at work in the human race. Nevertheless, sacrifice – as the answer to sin – continued to be developed over human history as God graciously sought justly to reconcile His rebel creatures to Himself.

Relationship by Sacrifice

The function of sacrifice in maintaining a relationship with God is seen throughout the book of Genesis. Adam and Eve obviously communicated this to their sons, so that we learn lessons about sacrifice from Cain and Abel. Abel’s offering was accepted because it bore witness to the attitude of his heart (Hebrews 11:4). He slaughtered the first and fat of his flock; that is, he gave God the best. Cain, by contrast, seems to have viewed sacrifice merely as a means of currying favour with God. He sought to meet God on his own terms, only to discover in his rejected gifts that there was only one way of approach.

The lives of the patriarchs revolved around altars of sacrifice.

When God brought the nation of Israel out of Egypt, He did it by the shedding of blood: the Passover lamb was slain on behalf of the firstborn in each family. God brought them to Himself and kindly instructed them in the conditions on which He would dwell among them. The original blessing of Eden, God present among His people, was made possible for Israel by the elaborate sacrificial system of the tabernacle.

These sacrifices may be summarized under two headings. There were, first, sacrifices for sin; and, second, sacrifices described as bringing a sweet smell to God. Broadly speaking, these encapsulate the twin lessons taught in the concept of sacrifice. In each case, the offerer was to lay his hand on the victim as an expression of identification with it. In every case, the animal for sacrifice had to be clean and without defect. It was clear that the animal became a substitute for the offerer. On the one hand, the animal became a penal substitute for sin, dying in the offerer’s place. On the other hand, the sweet smelling offerings taught the opposite lesson. Recognizing his unsuitability before God as a sinner, the offerer associated himself with a perfect sacrifice.

In effect, the individual Israelite confessed personal unworthiness and sought acceptance on the basis of a worthy sacrifice.

This increasingly developed sacrificial system served to teach the pervasiveness and perversity of sin. The consequence of Adam’s rebellion was greater than he imagined. Sin had corrupted the whole of humanity, leaving it helpless to its mastery. As a result, only by the continual offering up of sacrifices for sin could sinful men and women relate to God. The blood (proof of death) of an animal was accepted by God as a covering for sin (Leviticus 17:11), thus allowing sinners in His presence.

A careful reading of Numbers chapters 28-29 indicates that the minimal requirements for maintaining the tabernacle sacrificial system was 1191 animals per year. The millions of victims offered only demonstrated the shortcomings of this system, because, although God-given, Israel’s worship system was merely a “shadow of good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1). Animal sacrifice was inherently inadequate in that it never cleansed the offerer’s conscience or changed the offerer for the better.

Justin is employed as a dentist in the community of Kirkland Lake in northern Ontario, Canada. He is married to Naomi, with whom he shares six children. He came to know the Saviour as a young boy. He loves to spend time reading good books and chatting with friends.

Essays on Sacrifice

We found 23 free papers on sacrifice, essay examples, “the crucible” by arthur miller.

In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, He talks a lot about how sacrifices have to be made to restore the social order. What is does sacrifice mean? To me sacrifice means to give something up no matter the value for the greater good. You can sacrifice anything not matter the value of it. Many characters…

Sacrificial Ceremonies Essay

According to Mikalson, Greek worship is the doing of deeds, and the giving of gifts that show honor to the deity, and is also essentially a major role when considering pleasing them (Mikalson, 23). Sacrifice is defined as a ritual in by which a non-sacred object is given as a gift to a deity to…

“After Caravaggios Sacrifice of Isaac” Short Summary

”After Caravaggios Sacrifice of Isaac” is a short-story written by Rachel Cusk, and published in 2003. Love is the world’s most wonderful phenomenon, it is a force more formidable than any other, and love is strong enough to transform you in a moment. This the story of a man, afflicted by love. And like all…

Was Human Sacrifice Moral

Was human sacrifice moral? Lots of people may say sacrificing other people are bad but people from the prehistoric age all the way up to the 21st century. This form of sacrifice was practiced all around the world for different reasons. For example, there is a place called mound 72 that had 272 people and…

Sacrificial Reward Essay

Sacrifice is defined as the “giving up of something valued for the sake of something else more rewarding.” As an act of selflessness one may feel the emotional grievances such as loss, emptiness, or simply missing out. There are instances when the face of sacrifice deceives individuals as “losing”, but it is a powerful articulation…

Love And Sacrifice – Big Part Of Relationship

Sacrafice All People have heard the saying “you will always sacrifice for the one’s whom you love”. And I truly believe that; love and sacrifice is a big part of what makes up a relationship. There are the sacrifices love, the sacrifice of Christ, and the sacrifice that is put into place during a life…

Mills Utilitarianism: Sacrifice The Innocent For T

he Common Good?Mill’s Utilitarianism: Sacrifice the Innocent For The Common Good?When faced with a moral dilemma, utilitarianism identifies theappropriate considerations, but offers no realistic way to gather the necessaryinformation to make the required calculations. This lack of information is aproblem both in evaluating the welfare issues and in evaluating theconsequentialist issues which utilitarianism requires be…

Phycological Sacrifices Made by Individual Soldiers

In the novel, All quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria there is a boy named paul who volunteers for the military. Paul is convinced by his schoolmaster to volunteer through the use of propaganda. Throughout this book there are examples of the importance of volunteer soldiers. By having a total volunteer military, all…

The Demonstration of Self-Sacrifice

Both “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry and “The Cabiluwallah” by Rabindranath Tagore demonstrate acts of self-sacrifice and a desire to do something special for others. O. Henry shows that people will go to great lengths to make someone they care about feel special, while Tagore emphasizes the moral obligation to perform favors…

The Crucible Since Proctor Had to Sacrifice His Name

According to an anonymous quote, determining our values relies on what we are willing to sacrifice. This notion is also applicable to John Proctor in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible. Proctor had to let go of his reputation and his stubborn practicality in order to remain true to his own beliefs, as his reputation appeared…

information	A sacrifice essay typically discusses the act of sacrificing, or giving up something, for the greater good. It may discuss the motivations behind sacrificing, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of doing so. The word ‘sacrifice’ has different meanings in different cultures and religions. For some, it may mean giving up something of value for the greater good. Others may see it as an act of self-denial or self-control.In general, sacrifice is an act of giving up something for the sake of something else. It is usually done for the greater good or in order to achieve a goal.Sacrifice can be seen as a positive act, as it involves giving up something for the greater good. However, it can also be seen as a negative act, as it may involve giving up something of personal value.When writing an essay on sacrifice, it is important to consider the different perspectives on the concept. What is sacrificed and why? What are the benefits of sacrifice? Are there any risks or drawbacks associated with sacrifice?Your essay should be well-researched and thoughtfully written in order to effectively explore the concept of sacrifice.

information

A sacrifice essay typically discusses the act of sacrificing, or giving up something, for the greater good. It may discuss the motivations behind sacrificing, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of doing so.

The word ‘sacrifice’ has different meanings in different cultures and religions. For some, it may mean giving up something of value for the greater good. Others may see it as an act of self-denial or self-control.In general, sacrifice is an act of giving up something for the sake of something else. It is usually done for the greater good or in order to achieve a goal.Sacrifice can be seen as a positive act, as it involves giving up something for the greater good. However, it can also be seen as a negative act, as it may involve giving up something of personal value.When writing an essay on sacrifice, it is important to consider the different perspectives on the concept. What is sacrificed and why? What are the benefits of sacrifice? Are there any risks or drawbacks associated with sacrifice?Your essay should be well-researched and thoughtfully written in order to effectively explore the concept of sacrifice.

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Definition of sacrifice

(Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of sacrifice (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

intransitive verb

Examples of sacrifice in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sacrifice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin sacrificium , from sacr-, sacer + facere to make — more at do

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing sacrifice

give / sacrifice one's life
make the final / supreme / ultimate sacrifice

sacrifice bunt

sacrifice fly
sacrifice hit
sacrifice one's life
self - sacrifice

Articles Related to sacrifice

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Trending: Trump: 'I Think I've Made a Lot of Sacrifices'

The word trended for nearly a week following Trump's response to Khizr Khan

Dictionary Entries Near sacrifice

sacrificatory

Cite this Entry

“Sacrifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrifice. Accessed 18 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of sacrifice.

Kids Definition of sacrifice (Entry 2 of 2)

Middle English sacrifice "the act of offering something to God or a god," from early French sacrifice (same meaning), from Latin sacrificium "sacrifice," from sacr-, sacer "sacred" and -ficium, from facere "to do, make" — related to sacred

More from Merriam-Webster on sacrifice

Nglish: Translation of sacrifice for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of sacrifice for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sacrifice

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Essay on sacrifice 2 Models

Essay on sacrifice, a short essay on sacrifice is moral and religious behavior, many models such as a paragraph on sacrifice and its effects on the individual and society, an essay on the sacrifice of parents for the sake of their children, sacrifice is actions, not words, self-sacrifice for the sake of the homeland is one of the highest types of sacrifice and an essay on sacrifice for the sake of making others happy.

Interesting topics, written in an easy style, suitable for the fifth and sixth grades of primary school, and the first, second, and third grades of preparatory and high school, in which I present wonderful examples of sacrifice.

It is also important that we work on developing this great moral behavior among citizens, by honoring the people who sacrificed for others. These people are real heroes and deserve thanks and praise.

Essay on sacrifice

The character of sacrifice is a great character, which only a great person can possess. Essay on sacrifice includes fine examples of sacrifice. Sacrifice is not easy, not all people can give the most precious thing they have for others. Sacrifice is an attribute that transcends its owner and raises his worth.

Therefore, only good people who love the benefit of others do it, and therefore if we look at our reality, we will find that the people who sacrifice for the sake of others are few, especially whenever corruption spreads and bad morals prevail, and people are busy collecting money and forgetting to raise children on good morals.

Sacrifice definition

Sacrifice is when a person voluntarily gives up something that belongs to him, or his right to obtain it, to others in order to make them happy and achieve success for them. In this case, he prefers others over himself, and prefers to make them happy and benefit them. In many cases, the sacrificer will be affected negatively throughout his life because of this sacrifice.

One of the sacrifices that no one can deny is the sacrifice of the mother and the father for the sake of their children. It is a sacrifice that takes place every day without complaining or grumbling, so that the children do not feel these sacrifices and consider them for granted (normal).

Sacrifice is a moral and religious behavior

Sacrifice is a great moral behavior, and only a person who was raised to love goodness for others, and whose family cultivated sacrifice for the sake of others, would do it, and taught him that happiness is not real unless those around you are happy. In our essay on sacrifice, it is important to write about the importance of spreading this good behavior among citizens.

And when we look at the characteristics of people who sacrifice for the sake of others, we find that they are among the most sincere and kind-hearted people, and the most merciful of them towards the weak, because sacrifice is only issued by a person of decent morals.

This is because sacrifice is preferring others over oneself, and this is a very difficult thing for anyone to do, and it requires high morals and faith that this sacrifice will not be lost in vain.

Sacrifice is a religious behavior in the first place, as all monotheistic religions urge sacrifice for the happiness of others, and for the protection of homelands.

The Messengers were the role models for humanity in patience, sacrifice and enduring hardships, all in order to spread goodness and good morals among people.

Kinds of sacrifice

There are many types of sacrifice, so you should mention some of them in the essay on sacrifice. It is certain that every person of us lived a situation and made a decision to sacrifice, so sometimes he was the sacrificer and at other times he was the recipient of the sacrifice, and there are many examples of that, and we can mention the following:

Sacrifice effort: In many cases, the sacrifice is an effort you make to help a weak or elderly person meet his needs, or to do the work instead of him. An example that occurs on a daily basis is giving up your seat on public transportation to a woman, an elderly man, or a pregnant woman.
Sacrificing time: Sacrificing time is a form of sacrifice, and you can sacrifice some time to help a colleague understand his lessons, teach someone to write and read, or do other charitable causes.
Sacrifice money: Sacrifice money is one of the most common types of sacrifice among people, as all monotheistic religions urge to help the poor. Therefore, the rich donate part of their money to the poor, and that is voluntarily. Money is also donated to social organizations, and the rich contribute to building hospitals, schools, universities, roads, facilities, and more.
Sacrificing social position: We often find that someone gives up his position to another person voluntarily, because he feels that that person is more deserving of this position than him, or because he wants this person to succeed and rise above him. And I saw in one of the running competitions the first contestant fell a very short distance before the finish line, and he could not get up, and the surprise was when the next contestant helped him to get the first place. The contestant gave up the victory for himself and sacrificed for someone else. This contestant has won everyone’s appreciation and respect.
Self-sacrifice: Self-sacrifice is considered one of the highest types of sacrifice, and it requires a person to be convinced of the cause for which he sacrifices himself, and many soldiers sacrifice themselves in defense of their homelands. Their heroic work will remain a crown over their heads, and we will remember them throughout our lives, for their favor to us is great.

Parents sacrifice

There is no doubt that the sacrifice of fathers and mothers is one of the greatest deeds, as the mother sacrifices her comfort and health since pregnancy, and suffers many health problems during pregnancy, then suffers more during childbirth, so that she may die during childbirth. So you should mention ,in our essay on sacrifice, the sacrifices of the mother and father.

Since the mother gives birth to her child, a new phase begins in her life. It is a phase in which there is no rest, as the mother gives up her physical comfort, sleep and life regime in order to take care of her child.

The mother continues to care for her child, and the problems multiply. The mother tries to provide her child with a healthy, happy life filled with love and tenderness. At every stage of the child’s life, the mother finds herself facing bigger problems and challenges that she must deal with.

The long journey continues until the child becomes an adult who can depend on himself. In fact, the role of the mother does not end, no matter how old her children have grown and become men and women. Rather, they turn to their mother whenever they encounter a problem, or feel that they need love and tenderness.

Likewise, the father’s sacrifice is great, as he works and toils in order to provide the necessary money for the family, and thus he gives up his comfort and enjoyment of his time, and prefers buying the family’s needs rather than buying his own needs.

How to acquire the sacrifice characteristic

There is no doubt that it is nice to accustom our children from childhood to this great moral, which is the moral of sacrifice, and there are some factors that help in acquiring this moral, including:

Accustom yourself to love the good of people, and help them as much as possible.
Accompany people with good manners, because a friend has a great influence on your behavior.
Get rid of selfishness and self-love, and get rid of bad morals.
Eliminate indifference to the feelings of others.
Be brave and enterprising, and do not care about the opinions of others as long as you think you are doing the right thing.
Reading the history of your country gives you feelings of patriotism and respect for the martyrs who sacrificed themselves in order to liberate their country, or to provide a better life for future generations.
Follow religious teachings, which urge social solidarity, and help the poor and needy.

At the end of the essay on sacrifice, I dealt with the definition of sacrifice, and that it is a word that denotes a great work, and I presented a paragraph about the types of sacrifice, and what are the greatest types of sacrifice, including the sacrifice of parents for the sake of their children.

In the end, we cannot deny that sacrifice is a moral and religious behavior, and the prophets are our role models in sacrifice, as they spent effort, time and hardship in order to spread goodness and peace among people.

In conclusion of the essay on sacrifice I hope you have benefited.

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Does Latest Signing Mark End for Knicks Depth Star?

Geoff magliocchetti | jul 16, 2024.

May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) reacts during the third quarter of game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Knicks

Are the New York Knicks getting ready to say deuces to Deuce?

Monday's move could be a precursor to leaving Miles McBride at the altar: New York signed former Philadelphia 76er Cameron Payne to a one-year, $3.1 million deal, picking up another backcourt depth star despite the lack of interior help.

With the backcourt core firmly built, signing Payne, set to enter his 10th season and 30th year come August, seems like a bit of a surprise at first glance, especially considering the 23-year-old West Virginia product's breakout. McBride went from mop-up duty to crunch time this season, watching sterling numbers replace the dreaded "DNP-CD" initials in his box scores.

One could argue that the Knicks are using Payne (9.3 points in just under 20 minutes during his 31-game stint with Philadelphia) to make up for the relative lack of backcourt bench scoring in the wake of Immanuel Quickley's move to Toronto, a void that neither Alec Burks nor Quentin Grimes fulfilled in a satisfying fashion. But McBride, who built a previous reputation as a defensive stalwart, filled that role handsomely, averaging 10.6 over the 50 post-Quickley games.

SNY Knicks insider Ian Begley believed that the deal for Payne isn't a "direct reflection of how the Knicks view McBride," noting that the team did its utmost to keep the fourth-year man out of the Brooklyn-bound package that landed Mikal Bridges' services (Bojan Bogdanovic and Mamadi Diakite wound up being included with draft picks instead).

But Begley also took note of the Knicks' increasingly crowded roster situation: New York currently has 14 men under contract (13 guaranteed, one two-way player in second-round pick Ariel Hukporti). Elsewhere in the rookie bunch, the Pacome Dadiet experiment insists on staying in America and it's safe to assume the Knicks have plans for Tyler Kolek considering the trouble they went through to obtain his services (sending three picks to Portland to move up four spots to the Marquette alum's arrival).

Add in Donte DiVincenzo's (presumed) return to the bench and suddenly McBride's in danger of ending back where he started. Head coach Tom Thibodeau has shown no prejudice in issuing exile papers, as veteran (Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose) and potential-packed youngsters alike (Obi Toppin) have gotten the boot in the name of a compact rotation.

Anyone remotely familiar with the Knicks' offseason activities knows about the lack of interior depth: calling for Mitchell Robinson's departure does more harm than good while Jericho Sims carries familiarity but has yet to establish any permanent role three years into his Manhattan tours. Crawling back to Precious Achiuwa remains an option but any trade import worthwhile (i.e. Wendell Carter, Nick Richards) is going to require a sacrifice beyond draft picks.

With all that has transpired, McBride may be the most expendable, if not most unfortunate, option to be moved, no matter how highly the Knicks think of him.

Make sure you bookmark All Knicks for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Knicks Sign Cameron Payne
Pierce Rips Brunson Extension
Recurring Knick To Return "At Some Point"
Nets Starter Seeks to "Break That Nova S***"
Rose's Draft Patience Pays Off

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Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — A Tale of Two Cities — Exploring the Sacrificial Theme in A Tale of Two Cities

Exploring The Sacrificial Theme in a Tale of Two Cities

Categories: A Tale of Two Cities

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Published: Jun 29, 2018

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Guest Essay

Biden Must Know How This Should End

A view through a window of President Biden seated at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, a large standing microphone trained on him.

By Mike Murphy

Mr. Murphy has been a strategist for John McCain and other Republican candidates and is a host of the podcast “ Hacks on Tap .”

The horrible assassination attempt on Donald Trump has underscored Joe Biden’s dire political situation. Americans hope the awful events in Butler, Pa., will inspire the reversal of our ever-coarsening political culture, as Mr. Biden called for on Sunday night. It’s now Mr. Trump’s turn, and his moment, to answer that call with a more unifying vision as his party meets this week in Milwaukee.

Nonetheless, politics will march forward — and have no doubt, Mr. Biden is losing this race. The decision by leaders of the Democratic National Committee to ratchet up the calendar and try to confirm him as the party’s nominee before the convention only adds to the feeling of desperation that surrounds him.

Democrats and other Trump opponents know this and most are in full panic. A Republican convention that celebrates the party nominee surviving a would-be assassin’s bullet while also drawing a stark and, we can say it, opportunistic contrast between a vibrant Donald Trump and an aging Joe Biden will be a success for the Republicans. Democrats are in for a very long political week.

The total war between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden has now raged for eight years and exhausted our nation. I’ve been proud to be on Joe Biden’s side in that war, despite my conservatism and my years of proudly working for the pre-Trump G.O.P. But America needs a fresh path forward. Joe Biden cannot offer that. A new candidate, a centrist Democrat, could.

Mr. Biden now faces that grim reaper of politics: If you are perceived as a certain loser, you will become one. Campaign psychology is based on fear. While a candidate’s supporters will boast, bluster and project steely confidence, deep down they share the same quiet terror: “What if we … lose?”

Among Democrats, the terror isn’t quiet anymore. The grim specter of a President Trump once again lurching around the Oval Office has made the thought of losing this election especially horrifying.

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Sacrifice is a profound and often challenging aspect of the human experience. In this essay, we will delve into the significance of making sacrifices and how they can be a transformative force for personal growth and development. Sacrifices are not merely acts of selflessness; they are opportunities for self-awareness, change, and the reshaping of our values and beliefs.
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500 Words Essay on Sacrifice or Success Sacrifice: The Path to Success. Achieving success in any field often requires sacrifice. It means giving up something of value in order to gain something else that is seen as more important. Sacrifice can take many forms, such as devoting time and energy to a particular goal, making financial investments ...
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Essay Example: Part of the greater Battle of Okinawa in World War II, the Battle of Hacksaw Ridge is a stunning example of the human spirit is tenacity, bravery, and moral conviction. ... The essay also reflects on the broader themes of sacrifice, perseverance, and the various dimensions of heroism, emphasizing the impact of Doss's legacy on ...
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Essay on Sacrifice & its Importance in Life. Sacrifice is a word with many meanings. In everyday usage, it refers to any event in which someone gives up something that he or she values highly for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. It can be defined as an act of giving up something highly valued, but it also means ...
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Understanding Sacrifice. In modern society, the subject of sacrifice is alternately applauded or denigrated. Sacrifice, as a denial of self for the benefit of others, is considered a great human ideal. On the other hand, the supposedly enlightened 21st century mind delights to ridicule the idea of blood sacrifice in the context of sin against God.
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Definition Essay On Sacrifice. "When you go in search of honey, you must expect to be stung by bees.". ― Joseph Joubert. According the Merriam Webster Dictionary "sacrifice" is defined as "destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else". The second definition is "something given up or lost".
⇉Free Sacrifice Essay Examples and Topic Ideas on GraduateWay
Sacrificial Reward Essay. Sacrifice. Words: 921 (4 pages) Sacrifice is defined as the "giving up of something valued for the sake of something else more rewarding.". As an act of selflessness one may feel the emotional grievances such as loss, emptiness, or simply missing out. There are instances when the face of sacrifice deceives ...
Sacrifice Essay
James Dowling Sacrifice. Sacrifice is giving up something, in order to aid somebody or something. Sacrifice is an act which is sometimes inevitable. An example of inevitable sacrifice is when a citizen gets drafted into war. James Dowling's life is the epitome of sacrifice, both in battle and civilian life.
Sacrifice Definition & Meaning
How to use sacrifice in a sentence. an act of offering to a deity something precious; especially : the killing of a victim on an altar; something offered in sacrifice… See the full definition
The Odyssey: Sacrifice vs Success: [Essay Example], 625 words
Throughout the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, the theme of sacrifice is intricately woven into the journey of the hero, Odysseus. Sacrifice plays a vital role in the development of heroism, as it is through the act of sacrificing that Odysseus is able to achieve success. This essay explores the relationship between sacrifice and heroism in The ...
Essay on The Sacrifice
Essay on The Sacrifice. To kill does not only mean to take ones life, but instead it also carries the meaning of ending an important factor in ones life. Killing also has a lot of other meanings, but the main factor of killing leads to death there are many more the author Adele Wiseman displays the many different aspects to kill in the novel ...
Essay on sacrifice 2 models
Essay on sacrifice 2 Models. Essay on sacrifice, a short essay on sacrifice is moral and religious behavior, many models such as a paragraph on sacrifice and its effects on the individual and society, an essay on the sacrifice of parents for the sake of their children, sacrifice is actions, not words, self-sacrifice for the sake of the homeland ...
Does Latest Signing Mark End for Knicks Depth Star?
Head coach Tom Thibodeau has shown no prejudice in issuing exile papers, as veteran (Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose) and potential-packed youngsters alike (Obi Toppin) have gotten the boot in the ...
Exploring The Sacrificial Theme in a Tale of Two Cities
Exploring The Sacrificial Theme in a Tale of Two Cities. In Western literature, sacrifice is often regarded as a noble act because it invokes the powerful image of Christ's death. Many writers throughout history have used this familiar association to reprimand the prevalence of selfishness in the human society.
Biden Must Know How This Should End
If Mr. Biden stepped aside in a pivotal moment of gracious self-sacrifice, he would secure his place as a true hero to Democrats and Trump opponents of all political persuasions. Mr.
J.D. Vance's RNC speech focuses on hardscrabble roots, military service
In 2016, he described Trump as either a "cynical asshole" or "America's Hitler" in a text message to a former law school classmate, and in an essay for the Atlantic magazine the same ...

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To All The World

The Theology of Sacrifice

Introduction

Sacrifice in the Old Testament

Observations

Sacrifice in Old Covenant Context

The Death of Christ as a Sacrifice

Hebrews on the Sacrifice of Christ

Concluding Thoughts

Further Reading

Why People Make Sacrifices for Others

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The Heroism and Sacrifice at Hacksaw Ridge: a Story of Courage

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Essay on Sacrifice | Types, Value & Importance of Sacrifice in Life

Essay on Sacrifice & its Importance in Life

Types of Sacrifice

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The Crucible Since Proctor Had to Sacrifice His Name