It's Time to Die

I was about to say that in my household, I used to want to be the one in control. But, who am I kidding…I still want it! Patience is not exactly one of my strong points either. Funny thing is that outside of the home, I don’t need to be in control, and I am actually quite patient. But, under my roof, I want it to be my rules. I always joke that I have three children because my husband is just as big of a kid as our children. Sometimes, I think worse. Unfortunately, when things are not going my way, I let them have it. Thankfully, God is dealing with me on that subject of selfishness, and I have felt some improvement. Basically, I just need to die…

That theme has actually come up several times in the lessons I have heard or read this week. I figured it was God trying to tell me something. Dying to oneself means to do God's will and not our own selfish will. You have to die to self everyday.

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." – Matthew 16:24-25

To die to self means that we are to put behind the sinful things of the world and to live a life solely surrendered to God and His commandments. It means that we are to deny the desires of our flesh that are contrary to God’s ways and begin to seek to further the kingdom of God in our lives. Dying to self daily is not optional for believers, but something every true believer must do.

How do you die to self? By allowing your circumstances to help you become more like Christ–especially the ones you don’t like. Anytime you feel the pain of an insult, disappointment, suffering, physical challenge, failure, injustice, or trial, it’s an opportunity to die to pride, ego, sin, and self.  And if you keep dying to self, you’ll come alive in ways you never imagined.
 

John 12:24 says, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

So, how about you? What areas in your life do you need to die to?