Matthew 16:24, 25 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If
anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever
loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Denying
yourself is hard. Dying to your flesh is excruciating.
Serving
others when you don’t want to is an act of denying yourself. Because of the love of God in us, we put
aside our personal wishes and suck it up, and try to care for others with a
graceful attitude.
Like I said, it’s hard. Some days more than others.
Dying to your flesh…it’s a painful journey. It’s a continual decision-making process
where you choose to do what’s right, what is necessary, what is required to
care for others over the long haul when you could be having a life of freedom
unencumbered by the weaknesses of others. But because it is right, because it
falls to you, because you cannot turn your back on others, you pick up the
cross and follow Jesus by serving His body.
His body looks a lot like your children, your spouse, your parents, your
mother-in-law, your neighbors; even some strangers who are at the mercy of
circumstances they can’t control. Caring for those who are weak among us is
tiring work. A heavy burden.
But what is the alternative? Go about our selfish, merry
way, satisfying our personal wants and desires while leaving them to figure it
out for themselves, knowing they cannot?
No, we can’t do that.
Should we take it out on them and make them pay when we
shoulder the burden of their care? Let them know by our tone of voice and look
on our face that we resent it? We can’t do that either.
Our only choice, if we truly want to walk in the
righteousness of God, it to take up this cross and carry it.
But not as a martyr. But
by letting go of self. Letting go of selfish desires. Giving all of that to Jesus. Loving without any thought of return. Knowing our reward is from the Lord. Our efforts and energy may never be acknowledged
or rewarded…at least not by those down here.
But God sees. God knows. God is working something in us far more
valuable than we can imagine. Letting
His grace, His strength, His anointing flow through us to others. Having faith that when our flesh is truly
crucified and we are dead to self, that God is only beginning with His work in us,
and through us, for His eternal weight in glory.
It always comes down to this…dozens of little choices every
day that acknowledge God’s will and way over our own, or ignoring the next
level of relationship with Him and walking in shallow faith that is like a baby
always looking for its next bottle. We
choose by faith to do the tedious, the irksome, and the undesirable tasks while
serving others in order to minister to His body. When we do, by faith, trusting Him to make
all things right, we honor Him and bring Him glory. He is God.
He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. He is a friend that sticks closer than a
brother. He is faithful.
We can walk in the fleshly realm or we can lay ourselves
aside and follow after Him. There
is more than what we have seen. More
power and anointing than what we have experienced. There are more miracles and deliverances than
we can imagine, and a multitude of souls who need His love, His word and His healing
touch that flows through us. But only as we die to ourselves do we truly
receive His provision and become empowered to live a life of service.
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