We may pray something like Paul's prayer in Romans, that we may be accursed for the salvation of others' souls, yet still be found quite lacking in the seriousness of our prayers, for we may not even be willing to suffer the humiliation and fatigue that comes in simply serving them daily for their good. Prayers of self-sacrifice do not make it reality.
We have to be aware of such Peter-like boasts; we claim we will die for Christ, yet deny him hours later, with ease, when pressed for a simple profession or act of kindness; how quickly we deny him His due glory and love when we drinking pride and despise the humiliation of the cross expressed in service, gentleness, and patience to others.
While some may actually die for a person in a single moment, though (practically) hating them daily, this too is worthless sentimentality or dutiful morality, for 1 Cor. 13:1-4 exposes the fallacious sin of sacrificing without love.
