Disadvantage to advantage

As we wrapped up a series on Justice this morning at Westside we focused on the early church and then how we can do justice today. We highlighted how the church was able to do justice and hovered around 3 main ideas:

Awareness: you can never meet someone's need unless you're aware of it.
Sacrifice: needs will not be met without sacrifice
Overflow: the church not only met needs among them but also around them

The biggest challenge I left with was the idea of sacrifice.

Sacrifice is putting yourself at a disadvantage for the advantage of others.

I withhold something I want to meet someone's need.
I take time from my day to help someone else
I buy less Christmas gifts or none to build a well in Africa
I reduce my budget to sponsor mission and compassion projects

At a corporate level this might mean that pay scale and benefits are given at the cost of the management or vp salaries.
Mondragon, a Coop Corporation highlighted in the notes of Tim Keller's book, Generous Justice, apparently doesn't allow the top employees to make more than 5x than the bottom ones. They also give 10% of profits to community development. Interesting (I'm only quoting this as an example not as a rule or best practice, but it does demonstrate the principle of disadvantage for another's advantage)

Compare that with a 178$ Liz Claiborne jacket that costs .77 to make (another eg from Keller's book)
This is the reverse: advantage at someone else's disadvantage.

This call to act justly, whether its helping a friend who's lost their job, providing food for a family in my church, meeting a local need, taking the time to help a person get on their feet, or rescuing a child from sex trafficking for 4500$ - it all requires sacrifice. It means putting myself at a disadvantage to advantage someone else.

How are you challenged by this?
Do you see anyone living like this regularly?
How can we make steps toward this?
Does the gospel produce this kind of desire?