When death leads to life

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you." - Paul, 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

In days of old, the disciples of Jesus literally faced death on a daily basis! They were persecuted for putting their trust in Him while some of them lost their jobs and their loved ones for being associated with Him. All of them suffered while many of them died. Their reality must have felt beyond miserable, hellish. But their hearts found that heavenly peace in the hope they had in Christ. They realized that their afflictions, pain and losses were many but momentary. They lived so accustomed to death because they’d understood that following Christ means to die to themselves both metaphorically and physically. Their souls embraced hard times and poverty as friends who helped them to become Christlike. They had the option to get discouraged and quit in the journey, but they’ve chosen to live in suffering with Jesus rather than to live without His presence. They have befriended death because they’ve already found life eternal in Christ.

Oh I can’t help but wonder,

“What did they discover about Jesus?”

“What beauty in Him did they see?”

“Do I daily see Jesus ever so worthy like they do?”

I pray that the testimonies of these disciples will bring us to sobriety.

May we pray everyday, “Lord, please open my eyes to see how You’re beautifully worthy! I want to see”.

For only then can we follow Jesus in the way He most deserves!

And we shall say, “Come hell or high waters and even unto death, we set apart our lives only for Him and for His glory.”

"If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it." - Jesus, Matthew 10:39

So, what does it mean to die to ourselves today?

Following Jesus is an invitation to a daily death of ourselves.

Dying to self comes in many forms.

Maybe God is calling you to proactively partner with His Spirit and kill bad habits.

And yes, procrastination could lead to sin. It's called laziness. It's not just poor self-management.

Maybe God is calling you to stop engaging with unhealthy relationships.

Maybe God is calling you to deny your worldly preferences.

Maybe God is calling you to let go of your self-glorifying dreams and ambitions.

Maybe God is calling you to die to your emotions that would later lead to sin.

How about saying no to "bitterness"? And yes, saying "I'm sorry" is denying your pride.

Maybe God is calling you to get over your feelings of disappointments and doubts that will lead you to future unbelief.

Let's evaluate our hearts.

#discipleship #followingJesus