DTOTD: The Blessing of Sacrifice Over Convenience
DTOTD: Sacrifice Over Convenience
If we’re honest, most of us like serving when it fits neatly into our schedules, our expectations, and our sense of control. We like predictable outcomes. We like knowing how things will go. We like convenience. But Jesus has never been overly concerned with convenience. When Jesus calls us to follow Him, He calls us into a life that often trades comfort for compassion, predictability for presence, and convenience for sacrifice. And nowhere is that more evident than when we serve those who are unhoused.
Serving our unhoused neighbors can feel messy. It can be unpredictable. It can stir anxiety, uncertainty, and even fear. Can any of us control the weather to make sure we serve on the days we committed to? Being on call means we don’t make other plans because we are committed to something that may not happen and definitely won’t happen the way we thought it might. We may wonder:
What if this goes wrong?
What if I say the wrong thing?
What if my help isn’t enough?
What if nothing changes?
Scripture never promises that obedience will feel easy. But it does promise that obedience matters. Luke 9:23 informs how we choose to spend our time and resources in this way. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
When we serve our unhoused neighbors, we are choosing sacrifice over convenience. We sacrifice comfort. We sacrifice control. We sacrifice our preference for clean lines and tidy endings. And yet—this is the way of Jesus. Jesus stepped into unpredictable spaces. He touched the untouchable. He listened to stories that were long and complicated. He lingered where others hurried past. The call to “deny yourself and take up your cross” isn’t just about suffering—it’s about laying down our need to be in charge.
Convenience asks, “How quickly can this be resolved?”
Sacrifice asks, “How faithfully can I show up?”
Convenience asks, “How little will this cost me?”
Obedience asks, “What is God inviting me to lay down?”
Convenience asks, “Is this safe and predictable?”
Obedience asks, “Will I trust God even when I don’t know what comes next?”
To overcome the lies of convenience Satan whispers to us, we often need to name our fears, anxieties, and uncertainty. Let’s say it out loud: serving unhoused people can feel scary sometimes.
Not because people experiencing homelessness are the problem—but because we don’t know what to expect. We can feel unprepared and ill-equipped. Uncertainty can create anxiety. Anxiety can create fear. And fear can quietly convince us to step back instead of stepping forward. But Scripture reminds us in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” God does not shame us for feeling fear—but He does invite us not to be led by it. You have heard it said that Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is choosing obedience in the presence of fear.
One of the greatest burdens we carry into service is the belief that we are responsible for the results. We want changed lives right in front of our eyes on our watch. If we give up this time and this comfort, then we want it to mean something immediately. We want tidy success stories.
We want measurable outcomes. But Scripture gently—and firmly—reminds us that outcomes belong to God. In 1 Corinthians 3:6–7 we read, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So, neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” Our role is not to fix. Our role is not to rescue. Our role is not to be thanked or receive gratitude from our guests. Our role is not to guarantee transformation. Our role is obedience. We show up. We love faithfully. We serve with humility. We trust God with what we cannot control. Obedience is success in the Kingdom of God.
Harvester Christians, when you serve our unhoused neighbors—even when it’s uncomfortable, unpredictable, or inconvenient—you are walking in the way of Jesus. Every night blocked out of your schedule. Every meal served. Every conversation shared. Every boundary held with grace. Every moment of presence offered. None of it is wasted. God sees your obedience. God honors your sacrifice. God works in ways you may never fully see this side of heaven.
God, we confess that we often prefer convenience over sacrifice. We admit our fear, our anxiety, and our desire for control. Give us the courage to follow You into uncertain spaces. Remind us that we are not responsible for outcomes—only obedience. Help us to serve with humility, love with compassion, and trust You with the results. May our lives reflect the sacrificial love of Jesus. Amen
My name is Mike Coumerilh. My family found HCC in the summer of 2021 while Nikomas and the rest of the leadership were laying out the vision for us to encounter Jesus, become like Jesus, and unleash the hope of Jesus – something that resonates with us so much. Hearing this from the leaders confirmed to us that we belong right here, right now. And while we have plugged ourselves into multiple places here at HCC, I most recently volunteered to help with EWR, the Emergency Weather Response Team when Harvester was a warming center this winter for our unhoused neighbors. I believe we need to have a love of the Word (theologically sound preaching), a love for the Church (serve the local body), and a love for the world (reach and evangelize the lost). HCC clearly and intentionally makes room for each one of these. My focus for these last few years has been to do more to love the world. And volunteering for EWR does exactly that. Even though HCC has offered to be a ‘host’ church these last three years for EWR to shelter the homeless overnight, it had yet to be cold enough during our week to activate. This year was different. We activated four of the seven nights, including the first three consecutive! For my part, I volunteered to be available to stay overnight to ensure things went smoothly, to provide some sense of consistency each night, and hope the peace was kept. Given that I also have a full-time day job to report to each day, it was nothing short of supernatural to be able to go those more than 72 hours with less than 6 hours of sleep in total and still function at a normal level! There were some difficult moments, for sure. But God has promised to provide for ALL our needs (Philippians 4:19), especially where we are weak and lacking – and He truly did during that week. I may not have formal training in conflict resolution, but in Mark 13:11 Jesus instructs us in a slightly different context to “not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit” (ESV). I experienced exactly that multiple times throughout the week. There were also so many enjoyable and lighthearted moments all week long! The feeling you get when those whom you have been serving are walking out the door, pause to turn around, look you in the eyes and thank you with a gratitude from deep within their heart is incomparable! THAT is a warming center I want to be a part of!
Literally. For about a week before we activated, I hadn’t shaved (but even that wasn’t THAT significant, LOL). And while I was there, I tried to avoid wearing anything that made me look like I never wear the same shirt twice. I dressed down and left my clean clothes at home. If I’m going to have a chance to listen to someone’s story or talk with someone about the LORD, I don’t want them to be distracted with thinking about the “good life” I must be living!
