12.3- There and number of places where Jesus asked his followers to make sacrifices for a cause larger

 12.3-

There and number of places where Jesus asked his followers to make sacrifices for a cause larger than themselves and he promises that beyond the immediate pain there will come great joy. He uses birthpain as an illustration. After travail comes joy.

When we do other hard things there is an amazing gift on the other side. You are about to give a gift to God at church and God reminds you of a person you need to forgive or be reconciled with and you go and do all you can. Very hard and painful but later there comes the relief that you have done all you can leave it in the Lord's hands. This reduces regrets.

With humility and apology reconciliation a forgiveness can bring healing. "As much as lies within you be at peace with all people."

The best gift we can give God is to be an ambassador of reconciliation.

Matthew 5.

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

2 Corinthians 5.

11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.