Dying
The hardest thing to do in following Jesus is exactly what he did for us, to save us.
"Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."
Dying is painful. And God desires us to die to ourselves for His glory. This is one of the things that makes absolutely no sense to the world. Sure, it's easy to die for a cause or for an ideology or for the millions of other reasons people 'die for' things...but dying to yourself?...now THAT...is a very difficult thing to do.
It's difficult because we must die to our fears, our worries, our desires, our preferences, and our will...and what is worse, if we are honest to ourselves, we have absolutely no idea how to do that. All he tells us is to take up our cross and follow Him! All the things that we consider a part of US is what needs to die in order for HIM to be one with US. That is an impossible feat considering our power...but the power of the Holy Spirit is what makes this possible.
Everyday, or every week, or every year...the time span really doesn't matter...when we do actually die that little bit inside to ourselves, it is unbelievably painful when we come to realize it. But the pain has it's purpose: It is one of the lashes that Jesus suffered on his back. Sometimes one of the nails hammered into his hands or feet. Or sometimes, its the spit and insults hurled at us as we carry the cross down the path. In the midst of that pain, for us not to revert to doing that to someone else, we must be disciplined and strengthened and weakened all at the same time. If I could describe it, it would be equivalent to being folded from the inside out.
There is something astoundingly great about this experience, however...and that is the resurrection from the death. When we die to ourselves Christ is resurrected in us, and that is the most joyful and scintillating experience that we as humans can go through. Why? Because it means that God loves us so much, he spared us the damnation we so deserved, and instead, gave us LIFE!
"Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."
Dying is painful. And God desires us to die to ourselves for His glory. This is one of the things that makes absolutely no sense to the world. Sure, it's easy to die for a cause or for an ideology or for the millions of other reasons people 'die for' things...but dying to yourself?...now THAT...is a very difficult thing to do.
It's difficult because we must die to our fears, our worries, our desires, our preferences, and our will...and what is worse, if we are honest to ourselves, we have absolutely no idea how to do that. All he tells us is to take up our cross and follow Him! All the things that we consider a part of US is what needs to die in order for HIM to be one with US. That is an impossible feat considering our power...but the power of the Holy Spirit is what makes this possible.
Everyday, or every week, or every year...the time span really doesn't matter...when we do actually die that little bit inside to ourselves, it is unbelievably painful when we come to realize it. But the pain has it's purpose: It is one of the lashes that Jesus suffered on his back. Sometimes one of the nails hammered into his hands or feet. Or sometimes, its the spit and insults hurled at us as we carry the cross down the path. In the midst of that pain, for us not to revert to doing that to someone else, we must be disciplined and strengthened and weakened all at the same time. If I could describe it, it would be equivalent to being folded from the inside out.
There is something astoundingly great about this experience, however...and that is the resurrection from the death. When we die to ourselves Christ is resurrected in us, and that is the most joyful and scintillating experience that we as humans can go through. Why? Because it means that God loves us so much, he spared us the damnation we so deserved, and instead, gave us LIFE!