Dying to Self
Dying to Self
Living for Someone Better
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34
“I just want to do what I want to do.”
The brevity and bluntness of what had just come out of my mouth was surprising. The last few days had been filled with “distractions” from my precious checklist. And while I was bemoaning the laundry list of things keeping me from MY list, this phrase spewed out - uncovering the truth that I wanted all these obligations to take a backseat so I could get the satisfaction of crossing things off a list.
This small but powerful phrase reveals what many of us struggle with. Students put aside weekend plans to spend nights pouring over homework. Employees die a small death when the boss swings by at 4:45pm, keeping them from leaving when planned. Parents daydream about an evening - yay, even a couple hours - of peace and quiet to do what they want to do.
Why is this? The bottom line is that our flesh is inherently weak (Matthew 26:41). Many times know the right answers - what we should do - but constantly find ourselves in the same sin habits, frustrated at our lack of progress (Romans 7:15-20).
Even more, dying to self is often a sacrifice that goes unnoticed. We do not mind sacrificing, as long as we are rewarded for our efforts. We want the hours of studying to yield good grades. We want the late nights at work to result in recognition. And we want our sacrifice of sleep and free time to give us well-behaved children. But at its root, dying to self is putting to death the idea that if we could focus on our desires, or be recognized for our efforts, then we can have joy. John Piper puts it well, expounding on Mark 8:34-38:
“Our suffering is not a tribute to Jesus unless we endure it because we cherish Jesus. Taking up our cross means Jesus has become more precious to us than approval, honor, comfort, and life.”
In order to truly die to ourselves, we must have something better to live for. We die to ourselves, and our agenda in order to live in light of Christ, and His kingdom. The alternative is legalistic self-denial because we know we should, while pining for recognition to help ease the fear that our efforts were in vain.
So when you grow weary - at school, at work, at home - remember that God sees every momentary, little sacrifice and uses it for good (II Cor. 4:16-18). When selfish ambition threatens to take root in your heart, fight for a humble spirit and remember to entrust your unseen service to the one who knows all things (Matthew 6:1, John 5:44).
Christ died to self perfectly, by dying for us. So we can take heart that when we fall short at dying to ourselves, He has already fulfilled this command on our behalf. He is strong where you are weak, and He is perfect where you fail. Look to Him when you are empty, and find the fullness of His grace.
Thoughts for Reflection:
What are some areas of your life where dying to self is difficult?
How does the concept of having something (or someone) better to live motivate us in “taking up our cross?”
What are some intentional ways you could practice dying to self this season?
Guest Contributor: Amanda Hallett