“If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” —Luke 9:23
I had been following Jesus for many years when I got married. But my aversion to dying to self would have convinced you I’d just begun. My husband’s budding career held a knife to the throat of my own self-importance. As his fame grew, mine faded into his shadow.
I thought I knew how to lose my life for Jesus, but clearly any dying I’d done hadn’t been that painful. And now I was surrounded by the inevitable death of my reputation and self-sufficient habits. The significance I found in being a good Christian girl was being put to death.
Though confused and angry in the moment, I now realize God gave me the best gift I would ever receive: freedom from myself. Because the subtleties of my sinful flesh usually manifested in “good Christian behavior,” pride and self-love had been impossible for me to detect. Since I was unaware of this growing stronghold in my life, God took the initiative to set me free. I’ve never been so grateful.
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“Dying to Self: For Your Good and His Glory” (Kelly Needham, ReviveOurHearts.com/blog)
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
When has God called you to die to yourself? What happened as a result?