What things in your life are worth sacrificing for? In my own life, I can think of a couple things that are worthy of sacrifice, including family and pursuing a business that brings me joy and personal freedom. Of course my little sacrifices are nothing when compared to people who have sacrificed everything for our collective freedoms. 

In this comprehensive guide, I’ve compiled over 225 quotes and insights that touch on the deep topic of sacrifice. Some of these passages come from the Bible while others are from American hero’s. 

Quotes about Sacrifice

Some made the ultimate sacrifice.

• “Sacrifice is the hallmark of true commitment.” — Unknown
• “Without sacrifice, true love is incomprehensible.” — Toba Beta
• “Sometimes we must sacrifice the familiar to achieve the extraordinary.” — Unknown
• “Great achievements are always born of great sacrifice.” — Napoleon Hill
• “The roots of true achievement lie in the will to become the best that you can become.” — Harold Taylor
• “Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. It’s something to aspire to.” — Mitch Albom
• “In sacrifice, there is always the promise of rebirth.” — Karen Joy Fowler
• “Sacrifice is not just about giving up things. It’s about changing ourselves for the greater good.” — Unknown

“To give without any reward or any notice has a special quality of its own.” — Anne Morrow Lindbergh

• “Sacrifice is the most beautiful situation in love.” — Debasish Mridha
• “Sometimes sacrifice is the purest form of love.” — Unknown
• “He who sacrifices his conscience to ambition burns a picture to obtain the ashes.” — Chinese Proverb
• “Dreams do come true if we only wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.” — J.M. Barrie
• “The noblest kind of reparation is to outgrow the models one imitates.” — Cyril Connolly
• “The sacrifices we make today will pay dividends in the future.” — Unknown
• “The biggest sacrifice is sacrificing your own desires for the sake of others.” — Unknown
• “Sacrificing your happiness for the happiness of the one you love is the truest type of love.” — Unknown
• “True love is selfless. It is prepared to sacrifice.” — Sadhu Vaswani
• “A thing is worth what it can do for you, not what you choose to pay for it.” — John Ruskin

“We often take for granted the very things that deserve our gratitude.” — Cynthia Ozick

• “In the act of sacrifice is the proof of our beliefs.” — Unknown
• “It is easier to make sacrifices for a cause than it is for a person.” — Mercedes Lackey
• “When you sacrifice for what you believe in, you are never alone.” — Unknown
• “Real magic can never be made by offering up someone else’s liver. You must tear out your own and not expect to get it back.” — Peter S. Beagle
• “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” — William Faulkner
• “Every sacrifice has a fruitful reward. Every failure has a second chance. We only have to be strong by God’s grace to persevere in the tests of life.” — Dodinsky
• “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.” — Thomas Paine
• “Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” — Brodi Ashton
• “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” — Albert Einstein

Quotes about Sacrifice for Freedom

Freedom ain’t free.

• “Freedom is never free.” — Unknown
• “For our tomorrow, they gave their today.” — John Maxwell Edmonds
• “It is easy to take liberty for granted when you have never had it taken from you.” — M. Grundler
• “Liberty has its cost, and it must be refreshed with the blood of patriots.” — Thomas Jefferson (paraphrased)
• “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” — Abraham Lincoln
• “To find freedom, one must endure the weight of sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “Freedom’s price is often steep, but never too costly.” — Unknown
• “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” — Thomas Jefferson
• “Without sacrifice, freedom would be just a word.” — Unknown
• “Every step towards freedom demands sacrifice from the brave.” — Unknown
• “True freedom is worth every sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “They may take away our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!” — William Wallace
• “Freedom is the will to be responsible for ourselves.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
• “Sacrifice to the cause of freedom is the pinnacle of patriotism.” — Unknown
• “In the face of impossible odds, people who love freedom can change the world.” — Unknown

“What light is to the eyes, what air is to the lungs, what love is to the heart, freedom is to the soul.” — Unknown

• “Freedom is never given; it is won.” — A. Philip Randolph
• “Our freedom can never be absolute because it will always come with a responsibility.” — Unknown
• “Liberty means responsibility. That’s why most men dread it.” — George Bernard Shaw
• “To protect freedom, there’s no sacrifice too great.” — Unknown
• “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” — Nelson Mandela
• “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” — Benjamin Franklin
• “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” — Thomas Jefferson
• “When a nation is filled with strife, then do patriots flourish.” — Lao Tzu
• “It is the cause, not the death, that makes the martyr.” — Napoleon Bonaparte
• “Sacrifice is the currency of freedom.” — Unknown
• “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on, for that is when heroes are made.” — Unknown
• “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” — Ronald Reagan
• “The sacrifices made for freedom will always shine brighter than the darkness of oppression.” — Unknown

Quotes about Sacrifice for Family

It’s all about family.

• “Family is not an important thing, it’s everything.” — Michael J. Fox
• “For family, we give up the me for the we.” — Unknown
• “The love of family is life’s greatest blessing.” — Unknown
• “Sacrificing for family means filling life’s pages with unmeasured love.” — Unknown
• “The most important thing in the world is family and love.” — John Wooden
• “Every parent is a hero to their child.” — Unknown
• “The sacrifices we make for those we love, paint the masterpiece of family.” — Unknown
• “Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights.” — Brad Henry
• “Family is the heart’s compass, pointing us to sacrifices worth making.” — Unknown
• “The roots of responsibility and the wings of independence are nurtured in a family’s embrace.” — Unknown
• “In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
• “For the family you love, no sacrifice is too big and no act is too small.” — Unknown
• “Family means putting your arms around each other and being there.” — Barbara Bush
• “A family needs to be united in love and sacrifice.” — Unknown

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• “In times of need, family is the first to hold out their hands.” — Unknown
• “Family sacrifices are like invisible roots that make the tree of life stand tall.” — Unknown
• “To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.” — Tia Walker
• “The family is both the fundamental unit of society as well as the root of culture. It… is a perpetual source of encouragement, advocacy, assurance, and emotional refueling.” — Marianne E. Neifert
• “Giving up oneself for the warmth of family is the noblest of all sacrifices.” — Unknown
• “In every conceivable manner, the family is a link to our past and a bridge to our future.” — Alex Haley
• “For the sake of family, we become the heroes we never knew we were.” — Unknown
• “The family is the first essential cell of human society.” — Pope John XXIII
• “The greatest act of love is to sacrifice for the smiles of the ones you love.” — Unknown
• “Through thick and thin, family is the beacon that guides us home.” — Unknown
• “The love of family fuels our courage to sacrifice and face the world.” — Unknown
• “The memories we make with our family are everything.” — Candace Cameron Bure
• “In the heart of every family, there are stories of sacrifice and triumph.” — Unknown
• “There’s no such thing as too much when it comes to doing for family.” — Unknown
• “The strength of family is determined by the amount of love and sacrifice shared.” — Unknown

Quotes about Sacrifice from the Bible

The Bible contains many stories about sacrifice.

• “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13
• “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” — Psalm 51:17
• “Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.” — Luke 23:46
• “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” — Mark 14:36
• “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” — 1 John 1:7
• “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” — Matthew 20:28
• “But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” — Jonah 2:9
• “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” — Romans 5:6
• “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” — Proverbs 3:9

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” — Romans 8:32

• “Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” — Titus 2:14
• “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” — Mark 10:45
• “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” — Matthew 9:13
• “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” — Proverbs 21:3
• “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” — Luke 9:24
• “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” — Hebrews 9:28
• “And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” — Ephesians 5:2
• “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—but my ears you have opened—burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.” — Psalm 40:6
•  “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” — Romans 12:1
• “Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'” — Luke 9:23
• “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” — Hebrews 13:16
• “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” — 1 John 4:10
• “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving. And pay your vows to the Most High” — Psalm 50:14

Quotes about Sacrifice for Safety and Security

• “Safety and security don’t just happen; they are the result of collective consensus and sacrifice.” — Nelson Mandela
• “To secure peace is to prepare for sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “True security requires a measure of sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “Safety doesn’t come without a price; it is earned with vigilance.” — Unknown
• “For a safer tomorrow, we often give up comforts today.” — Unknown
• “In the face of danger, the cost of security becomes priceless.” — Unknown
• “The cost of freedom is always high, but we have always paid it for safety.” — John F. Kennedy
• “Security and safety were the reward of dullness.” — Hanif Kureishi
• “In a tumultuous world, the price of safety is eternal diligence.” — Unknown
• “Safety and security are the most basic job of government.” — Bob Schieffer
• “Sometimes, securing the future means letting go of certain freedoms.” — Unknown
• “Our safety is always worth the sacrifice.” — Erin Bowman
• “Sacrifice today for a secure tomorrow.” — Unknown
• “Safety isn’t expensive; it’s priceless.” — Unknown
• “The sacrifices we make for security are the anchors that keep us grounded.” — Unknown
• “A secure environment is a fundamental right, not a luxury.” — Unknown
• “For the sanctuary of security, we often pay the price in vigilance.” — Unknown
• “The measures we take to secure ourselves are the very measures that breed insecurity.” — Unknown
• “In every choice for security, there lies a hidden sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “Safety and security are not gifts; they are the fruits of sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “The blanket of security often requires threads of sacrifice to weave.” — Unknown
• “To shield the joys of life, we embrace the sacrifices of vigilance.” — Unknown
• “Safety first is safety always.” — Charles M. Hayes
• “Behind every safe community is a history of responsibility and sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “Where there is security, there is peace.” — Unknown
• “To sleep soundly, we need to make tough choices during the day.” — Unknown
• “When we choose safety, we prioritize the well-being.” — Unknown
• “Security is a collective responsibility. It’s built on individual sacrifices.” — Unknown
• “In the pursuit of security, sacrifices are the stepping stones.” — Unknown

Quotes about Sacrifice for Happiness

• “Happiness often requires sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “For lasting joy, temporary sacrifices are a small price.” — Unknown
• “In the quest for happiness, not everything that’s let go is lost.” — Unknown
• “To embrace happiness, we must release what we clutch tightly.” — Unknown
• “Sacrifice today can be the key to tomorrow’s happiness.” — Unknown
• “True happiness often lies just beyond the hardest sacrifices.” — Unknown
• “In the ledger of life, happiness is worth every sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “The road to happiness often requires leaving some bags behind.” — Unknown
• “For the blossom of happiness, sometimes we must prune away our fears.” — Unknown
• “Some of the best joys are born from choices made in sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “Happiness is not the absence of sacrifice, but to see its worth.” — Unknown
• “By letting go of fleeting pleasures, we grasp lasting happiness.” — Unknown
• “In the alchemy of life, sacrifices transform into happiness.” — Unknown
• “Real happiness often demands the courage to choose long-term joy over short-term comforts.” — Unknown
• “To light up the lamp of happiness, sometimes we must brave the darkness of sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “Behind every moment of joy lies a decision to sometimes say ‘no'” — Unknown
• “Enduring happiness is often a reward for brave sacrifices.” — Unknown
• “Sacrifice is the bridge between desire and happiness.” — Unknown
• “True happiness is often a journey of discerning what to let go.” — Unknown
• “Happiness doesn’t demand perfection, but sometimes it asks for sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “The scale of happiness often balances with weights of sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “We cultivate our happiness when we wisely sow seeds of sacrifice.” — Unknown
• “What we give up for happiness often defines its value.” — Unknown
• “In life, happiness is both a journey and a transaction of sacrifices.” — Unknown
• “Some sacrifices are gateways to the deepest forms of happiness.” — Unknown
• “The sacrifices we regret are often the ones we didn’t make for happiness.” — Unknown
• “Choosing happiness often means embracing the sacrifices along the way.” — Unknown
• “On the path of life, sacrifices are the stones that pave the way.” — Unknown
• “In the dance of life, happiness often twirls with sacrifice.” — Unknown

Sacrifice Slogans

Sacrifice seeds future success.

• Embrace change, and reap rewards.
• Give more, gain deeper.
• Sacrifice: the silent hero.
• Growth demands a price.
• Today’s loss, tomorrow’s gain.
• Sacrifice paves paths forward.
• Pay now, prosper later.
• Dream big, sacrifice bigger.
• Courage in every sacrifice.
• Yield today, yield tomorrow.
• Sacrifice defines true love.
• Lose the moment, gain eternity.
• Choices shape our destiny.
• Greatness demands a personal price.
• Letting go leads forward.
• Surrender to soar higher.
• Beyond sacrifice lies reward.
• Every cost has a purpose.
• Bold hearts, bigger sacrifices.
• Price paid, legacy made.
• Sacrifice: life’s hidden gem.
• A journey requires letting go.
• Sacrifice today, smile tomorrow.
• True love always yields.
• Elevate through everyday sacrifices.
• Vision warrants valiant sacrifice.
• Dedication demands deliberate loss.
• Embrace sacrifice, embrace growth.

Sacrifice Captions

• Embracing sacrifice, unlocking greatness.
• Today’s sacrifices shape tomorrow’s victories.
• Giving up the good for the great.
• In sacrifice, the heart grows stronger.
• Letting go now for brighter tomorrows.
• Sacrifice today, celebrate tomorrow.
• True love’s language? Sacrifice.
• Growth and comfort seldom walk together.
• Behind every success is unseen sacrifice.
• Paying the price for a dream.
• Sacrifices made in silence scream success.
• To rise, sometimes we must release.
• Embracing the pain for the gain.
• Surrendering the moment for eternity.
• Braving today for a hopeful tomorrow.

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• The roots of success? Deep sacrifices.
• Diving deep into sacrifice, surfacing with dreams.
• Dreams demand dedication, and sometimes, letting go.
• Bold sacrifices, brighter tomorrows.
• Life’s richest rewards? Behind sacrifices.
• The bigger the dream, the bolder the sacrifice.
• Unseen sacrifices, undeniable growth.
• Today’s surrender, tomorrow’s sparkle.
• Every sacrifice carves a stepping stone.
• Path to success? Paved with sacrifices.
• Tomorrow’s triumphs start with today’s sacrifices.
• Embracing losses, earning legacies.
• For every goal, there’s a give-up.
• Sacrifice isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.

How to Determine if a Sacrifice is Worth It

Not sure if a sacrifice is worth it. Here are a few questions that will help you make that determination:

• Define Your Goals: Before weighing the sacrifice, have a clear understanding of what you’re aiming to achieve. Knowing your end goal can provide clarity on the necessary steps to get there.
• Evaluate the Long-Term Benefits: Consider the long-term advantages of the sacrifice. Will it lead to better opportunities, improved health, or personal growth in the future?
• Assess Short-Term Costs: Understand the immediate repercussions. What are you giving up now, and how will it impact your present situation?
• Listen to Your Gut: Intuition can be a powerful guide. If something feels off, take a moment to reflect on the reason behind that feeling.
• Seek Advice: Talk to trusted friends, family, or mentors. Getting an outside perspective can provide valuable insights you might not have considered.
• Visualize the Outcome: Imagine both scenarios – making the sacrifice and not making it. Which one aligns more with where you see yourself in the future?
• Review and Reflect: Periodically review the choices you’ve made. This allows you to adjust your decisions if you find they aren’t leading you in the desired direction.

What Kinds of Sacrifices Do People Make for a Successful Business?

As an entrepreneur the risks are much lower than say someone who risks their life in the military. Fortunately, there’s nothing that’s going to put your life at risk when starting a business even though it can be really scary to try make the leap. Here are the most common sacrifices made in the name of business success:

• Time: Time is arguably the most significant sacrifice. Business owners often work long hours, including weekends and holidays, especially during the initial phases.
• Personal Finances: Many entrepreneurs invest their savings or take on personal debt to fund their business, putting their financial security on the line. If you want safety, security, and a paycheck every two weeks stick with your job. 
• Health and Well-being: With long hours and high stress, maintaining a regular exercise routine, balanced diet, or adequate sleep can be challenging.
• Family and Social Life: Commitments to a new business can lead to missed family gatherings, vacations, or social events, impacting personal relationships. Make sure to establish boundaries on this. You’ll need to sacrifice time to start a business, but not at the cost of your family. 
• Immediate Profits: Especially at the beginning, business owners may forgo a steady paycheck, reinvesting profits to grow their enterprise. This was a challenge for me. For years, I saw money coming in but I didn’t get to keep much because I was also spending money on a new tool or hiring a contractor for the business. 
• Personal Hobbies and Interests: With business being a primary focus, personal pursuits like hobbies might take a back seat. I had to make building a business my hobby. Fortunately, this is a hobby that’s paid off. 

What kind of sacrifices have you made in life? Sometimes sacrifice looks like long hours on the job or time away from family. Other times it’s the sacrifice of someones entire life and future for the idea of freedom.