Abraham and Isaac- Thomas Ueland

God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering on a mountain. Knowing that this was a test of his dedication to God, Abraham sets off with his son, two servants, and a donkey. After reaching the mountain, Isaac asks his father about the whereabouts of their sacrifice animal, and Abraham responds by tying his son to the stone slab. However, just before he actually commits the murderous act, an angel appears and deters Abraham from killing his son. God knew that had he been asked, Abraham would have gone through with the deed. This was enough to prove the extent of his commitment to God, and God blesses Abraham with a promising future.

The passage from Genesis 22 exhibits true sacrifice; Abraham gave up what he loved most to validate his faith in the eyes of God. Spiritual leaps of faith still exist today, but rarely to the extremity of the story of Abraham and Issac. More often, I identify true sacrifice with the men and women involved in the Peace Corps and our soldiers. Both give up a normal lifestyle and years of their life, among many other things, on the premise of morality and the betterment of others. Their dedication to a high standard of character is beyond commendable, while their willingness to put their own lives at risk for the sake of people they've never met is as close to true sacrifice as you will find today.