Lately, I have been STRUGGLING. Struggling with my walk with the Lord, struggling with my identity, struggling with my actions and personality. I couldn’t figure out why. I have been praying and praying for the Lord to just speak to me, convict me, or reveal something to me. That’s when this morning, I just felt like the Lord was reminding me about self-denial. And it all made sense. It was like a breakthrough. I have felt more freedom this morning than I have felt in a long time. I have felt more intentional, bolder, and simply at peace. Here I was thinking I was such a “good Christian” (whatever that even means) and thinking I was being so obedient to the Father. Boy, how I was wrong. First off, a “good Christian”, that’s the first mistake of mine. I should just be striving to be a genuine Christian. A person who loves the Lord so much that my actions are already good and obedient. Ya know? Also, how prideful of me to even think that of myself! Another conviction the Lord brought to my attention. The second mistake of mine- I have yet to die to myself. One of the main parts of Christianity is dying to yourself, to live for Christ. I thought I was. In reality, I wasn’t. Dying to yourself means so many things- living as if your body is a temple (feed it good and nutritional foods! Exercise!), not becoming defensive when you feel like someone is humiliating you, or “attacking” you, learning to be joyful and full of willingness when someone asks something of you or when you’re having to do chores or something you dislike, knowing that the temptations you face are of the flesh and you have the power to overcome that temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Basically, working towards selflessness and striving to love the Lord with every ounce in you. I am so guilty of putting myself first constantly without even realizing it, and being full of love for myself, more than for Christ. Dying to yourself is a life-long process of sanctification. It’s something that you have to constantly remind yourself of every day. And self-denial is not self-rejection. It’s putting God first, and yourself last. It’s letting God sustain you. Letting God take over your reputation. Allowing God to be enough. Only seeking His approval. Honestly, this can be so hard. We live in a society that praises pleasure, praises selfishness. So many Christians, including myself, forget that the society we live in AND, in fact, take part in, is SO far off of what the Bible says and is so far off of who Jesus is. Living for Christ means that our happiness and our own pleasures do not come first. Things will get uncomfortable, and you might go through hard seasons, but man, the eternal blessings are going to be so dang worth it. Breakthrough’s are rad. Growth is rad. Jesus is the raddest of rad. I hope you can join me in working towards self-denial, and also join me in prayer through this season of learning what it truly means to put the Lord first and letting Him completely sustain you.
HELPFUL VERSES:
- Romans 12:10
- Matthew 16: 24-25
- Philippians 2:3-4
- Matthew 22:37-39
- Luke 14:27
- Romans 6:4-8
- Galations 2:20
- Galations 5:24
- Revelation 3:15-16
