What Would You Do For a Klondike Bar?

picture via Christ's Commission Fellowship 

       Tonight I attended a Bible study at my local parish.  We are doing The Great Adventure: A Journey Through the Bible, a study by Jeff Cavins.  Each study is kicked-off by watching a video of Cavins going through the “homework” from the past week.  This week we discussed several chapters in the book of Genesis.

       After Adam and Eve chose to eat from the forbidden tree, God informed them of the repercussions including the fact that from that moment on childbirth would be extremely painful.  Something I found interesting that was pointed out in the video for today’s study was the purpose of this “punishment”.  Cavins presented this unfortunate consequence as a lesson in true love.  A child is conceived in love, the total giving of oneself to another, and from that love comes great pain that is followed by unimaginable joy (similarly, Jesus was begotten in love, died, and resurrected offering eternal life).  This “punishment” is a hands-on lesson of what love really is.

       After pondering this I began to realize that the idea of joy coming from pain and sacrifice is in fact present in our society today.  I realized that we are for the most part taught that we have to work hard to be rewarded.  As a college student I am familiar with the principle that suffering leads to reward.  Every time someone chooses to study or pick up an extra shift instead of hanging out with their friends I see a sacrifice being made with the hope that joy will follow when they ace an exam or pay their rent. 

       So it is not that our world is unwilling to sacrifice, it is that we are sacrificing for the wrong things.  I am not saying that getting good grades or paying your bills is not a good thing, but I am saying that they are not the only things that should be sacrificed for.  If sacrifice is an act of love than why is it that love of money and worldly security exceeds love of Christ? For goodness' sake it seems as if we are more willing to sacrifice for a Klondike Bar than we are for God.  Why is it that I sometimes am more willing to sacrifice my time and energy to finish an assignment than I am to go to adoration?  By that same vein why am I willing to sacrifice my best possible grades for a night out with my friends and not for a trip to confession? 

       I guess what I am trying to say is that what we truly love can be determined by what we sacrifice for.  I hope to be able to say one day that I love God above all; unfortunately right now I don’t know if my actions reflect that. 

       What do you make sacrifices for?  Do you agree with my observation?  Have you ever heard of Jeff Cavins?  Do you participate in a Bible study?  Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Drop me a line in the comments below!