It's Time to Die

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Can I ask you to do something? It’s not for me. It’s for you. 


Look through your timeline, think back on your conversations, recall your actions. Then, imagine you are a stranger looking at all you have put out there. What will they learn about you? Will they know what you are for, or only what you are against? If you tell them you are a follower of Christ, will they believe you?


The two weeks after the George Floyd killing were some of the most emotionally difficult weeks I’ve had in my life. That’s saying a lot, considering I’ve dealt with the near-death experience of my son. So, over the last several months, I’ve been working hard not to “see” everything out there, not to allow my emotions to go back to that place. However, some things continue to (literally) grieve me. It’s the lack of love exhibited by so many. I started to say hate, but it’s not always that. It’s a lack of love. A lack of empathy.


I know, we talked about this some yesterday, but I believe it’s an important subject. I am not blaming one “side” or another. I am most concerned about those who are supposed to stand on the side of Jesus. The ones who claim what they stand for is about Jesus, yet bear no resemblance to Him.


If we claim Jesus, if we truly claim Him, then we must die to ourselves.


Whoo! This goes all the way against our human nature. I’ll tell you, I struggle with it every day. Most of us do.

“He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” John 3:30

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:20-21

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” Galatians 5:24-25 

That means, when personally “attacked,” we put Jesus before our pride. I’m not saying to let others mistreat you by any means. I am saying to remember whose we are before words come out of our mouths or onto a screen. We might even decide to withhold those words.

We’ve got to keep in mind, we may be the only Jesus someone sees. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to make Jesus look bad.

Dying to ourselves doesn’t mean we lose everything. Jesus came so that we may have life abundantly (John 10:10). There is no better life than a life with Jesus. I want to be everything that He is. . . but oh man, my selfish nature struggles to give up some things. The thought makes my heart beat fast.

There’s never been a better time to ask, plead, beg God to search our hearts to find anything that needs to change. Then, humble ourselves and let Him change us.

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