Tag Archives: deny self

Have you come here to die?

I understand this is the question a group from Ghana asks new missionaries when they arrive: “Have you come here to die?”

I suppose their motive is to find out if the new arrivals are “in it for the long haul.” Have they “packed their coffin” or are they already planning their return trip? In one sense, it’s a bit much to expect anyone to commit to a ministry or job or people group for an entire life. After all, statistics reveal that half of us don’t even commit to our “until death do we part” vows when we get married.

Paul may have referenced this commitment when he wrote to the people he loved in the Corinthian church: “You have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you.” Earlier he implored them to “Make room for us in your hearts.” (2 Corinthians 7:2-3)

“Making room in our hearts for others” is not an exclusively Christian theme. I have a number of unbelieving friends who model this with such passion and excellence when they commit to others. But it is a specific call on all Christian lives, to live intentionally – for others. Making room means intentionally devoting our life’s time, love, concern, energy, and other valuable life resources for others. More than a one day event, it’s a lifetime calling. Is that something at which you excel? I know when we were abandoned by so many people when I was diagnosed with cancer, it caused me to ask, “Has this been a pattern in my own life? How am I doing at making room for others?”

Intentionally making room in our hearts for others is one thing, but are we really called to die for others? Maybe, if we call ourselves Christian. Let’s look at the life of the one who in fact DID come here to die. Jesus left his home in heaven to come here on earth as a vulnerable baby (fully human yet fully God) for one singular purpose: to die for your sins and mine. He not only made room in his heart for others, he devoted his whole life and death to reaching those who were ignored and even despised by others. He suffered excruciating pain on the cross and died for us. And he commanded us, whoever dares call themselves Christian, to follow him:

He said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps.” 1 Peter 2:21

Paul describes “denying self” as putting others first, actually dying to self. He says, “I face death daily.” One version says, “I die daily to self.” (1 Corinthians 15:31)

It’s not the glitzy message of the rich TV evangelist, but it’s God’s message. You might or might not hear it in church or in your favorite Christian author’s books, but it is the message of God’s singular call on our lives to die to self and live for others. Some may tell you to just say a prayer to ask Jesus into your heart. But it’s so much more than a prayer. Making room in our heart for Jesus is a commitment to follow him, to live – or die – totally for him. It means making room in our hearts for others. It means dying to self to we can fully live in his power and according to his good plan for us. And so, it’s a profound and relevant question as we each search our own heart:

Have I come here to die?

Or have I bought into the marketing scheme that I should live life for all it has to offer to me – my comfort and my pleasure? I read the postings of a number of people whose lives are filled with frustrations. They say, “Life’s too short to not be happy. Avoid anyone who doesn’t contribute to your happiness.” I hope we all find happiness and better yet, lasting joy. It’s the outcome, not the goal, of God’s call on our lives.

I don’t know if you or I will be asked to die for someone else. But we have been commanded to live for them.

‘Have you come here to die?’

The evidence of faith

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Climate change. Life rights. Racism. Conservation. Politics. Religion. Imagine knowing someone who fought ardently against something that you hold dear. Now, imagine them very suddenly coming over to your way of thinking. Would you instantly trust them and welcome them into your “inner circle?” Would you afford them the same rights and respect that you extend to others who share your beliefs? What would convince you that they had really changed?

That was Paul’s situation described in 1 Corinthians 9. Once an ardent persecutor of Christians, he was suddenly and dramatically fully persuaded to live and preach the gospel of Jesus, the very one he was persecuting. No wonder people were cautious of his transformation. But the evidence of faith is a radically changed life, one fully devoted to knowing Jesus and making him known to others. And for Paul, no other activity or pursuit compared to the passion he poured into this singular goal of impacting the lives of others for God.

He gave up his rights to be compensated for his preaching, his right to material prosperity. He gave up his rights to “be right” about philosophical issues because he knew they were distractions from the real issue of introducing people to Jesus. He was completely driven by his gift to preach – and live – the gospel wherever he went. His spiritual understanding seemed to grow exponentially as he devoted and disciplined himself to loving his life fully for God, what he calls “running the race.”

It gives me pause to ask myself some tough questions about my own life and the “race” I am running. Maybe you’d like to join me in a time of reflection:

In what ways does my live give evidence to a real living faith? If Christianity were a crime (as it is in some parts of the world) would there be enough evidence in my life to “convict” me?

To what degree am I willing to give up my rights to positively impact the lives of others, especially those Jesus calls “the least of these?” To live simply and humbly so that others might have opportunity to live? To be generous with my wealth, my time, and my gifts and talents?

How diligent am I at protecting my time so I can be still before God and let his Word impact my own life?

Am I as eager to look for opportunities for gospel conversations as I am to discuss weather, sports, politics, or other interests?

Am I interested in finding common ground where there is conflict so mutually valued relationships can be built and strengthened?

In what ways am I using the gifts God gave me to grow spiritually and encourage others in their spiritual growth?

How much of my focus is on honoring God in my relationships compared to the other competing interests in my life?

What do I need to get a better grip on living a life filled with purpose and meaning?
Paul encourages us to run the race of life by disciplining ourselves through focused daily effort and devotion to a singular life purpose. He urges us to not become “disqualified” by wasting our time, money, and energy on meaningless and aimless pursuits. We can aim higher today!

The real evidence of faith isn’t words or religious actions, It’s a changed life, one that is transformed by the power of God, sold out to a single and all important cause. Real faith seeks to grow spiritually, impact others, gives up personal rights in order to win others to Christ. Let your faith give evidence to a great God who loves us and wants to reach others with his love…while time still remains.

Losing your life… And saving it

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Luke 9 tells the story of Jesus commissioning the disciples to advance his gospel and fulfill God’s calling on their lives. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.” (Luke 9:3-6) He continued, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” (V 23-25)

It’s tempting to think that was a single event in the history of God’s plan; that it’s different today. But is it? Aren’t we still called to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him? What does it mean to you to lose your life for Christ? I don’t know if it means we should all give up everything, but I think it means to consider it all as loss, even our lives and our ambitions. Otherwise, how can we follow in two directions (ours and God’s) at the same time? Following Jesus involves at least holding our possessions loosely, living more simply so our valuable resources can be used for the main event, the telling of His Story, the ongoing passion of his love.

When you attend a funeral of a respected friend, are you wowed by the mention of their awards and commendations, their great achievements, or their sizable accumulation of assets? Maybe. Maybe not. More likely, your thoughts turn to their character and the passion of their life that was invested in others.

Maybe today you’ll pause to consider everything you’re striving to gain in life, everything you’re pouring yourself into and piling up. It’s an opportunity to consider what’s really worth saving…and what’s going to get tossed aside one day anyway.

Jesus called his disciples to live a legacy life. It’s the call he still makes on our lives today if we call ourselves his followers. It’s not to live in comfort in the blissful pursuit of every pleasure. It’s living a powerful life freed by the forgiveness of God for the purpose of following in his steps to shine his light into the world.

God’s commission was not just for twelve men in Galilee. His call is for each of us today. Let’s live the call together!

From routine to the edge of adventure

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Do you ever have the feeling like you are stuck in a routine, doing the same thing over and over, never really getting anywhere, but instead just running in circles, and just wasting your life away?

That was the plight of Bill Murray’s character in the movie, Groundhog Day. Every day he would wake up on Groundhog Day and everything would be the same as yesterday. The same pointless routines, the same meaningless dialog, and the same boring and unfulfilled existence.

Maybe you feel the same way. You look back at the past year and ask, “Where did time go?” You look back over a lifetime of toil and ask, “What happened to my goals and dreams?” You’re stuck in a rut that seems like a grave with the ends dug out. You ask, “Is there a way out?”

Maybe today is the day to drive a stake in the ground or draw a line firmly in the wet concrete that proclaims, “I’m not going to waste my life. I am going to live a life of adventure with purpose and passion!”

What does it mean for a Christian to ditch the wasted routine and start living on the edge of adventure?

Jesus said “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23). He said it is like one who lost a treasure and gave up everything in order to find it.

It might look like Paul who considered everything he once sought to win as becoming like rubbish, worthless compared to knowing Jesus. Not just knowing more about Jesus, but knowing Him in such an intimate way that compels you to follow Him in everything you do. As the martyred Jim Elliot said,

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Elliot’s fellow missionary, martyred by his side, summed it this way:

“I have one desire now – to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy into it.”

Francis Schaefer said it is the life being visibly marked by the expression of God’s love for others. Like a mentor of mine when I was a youth said, “To have even your unconscious thoughts and desires bear the mark of Jesus.”

Maybe the question isn’t, “Am I ready to get out of a rut?” Maybe the question is, “Do I really want to bear the full mark of Jesus and live the ‘abundant life’ adventure of following Him?” The call is yours. Answer it today.

Capturing the cross

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A caption in last week’s news is a reminder of why Go Light Our World^TMpromotes the true gospel even in so-called ‘Christian’ countries.

The photo showed scores of ‘religious’ men diving off a dock into a cold lake in Sophia, Bulgaria (not far from the GLOW ministry in Vetren). They are trying to grab hold of a wooden cross thrown by the Orthodox priest to bless the waters. The men engage in this activity with hope that catching the cross will bring health and prosperity to the one who captures it.

Do void superstitions have influence over your life? Are “good luck” and “cross your fingers” woven into your vocabulary? Do you find yourself doing good deeds in hopes it will bring you blessing or good karma?

There is a way to capture the cross. And you don’t need to dive into frigid waters after some wooden icon. Simply bow your heart where you are right now, and extend your open hands in submission to the one who died on that cross and who offers His forgiveness and great hope to you. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and show you the way you should go today.

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
– Jesus, Mark 8:34

The highest of virtues

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What would you say is the highest of all virtues? CS Lewis contemplated that in his time most would say it is ‘unselfishness’. At the same time he contended that great Christians of the past would have said ‘love.’ And he lamented how a negative term had replaced a positive one.

What do you think of when you consider the word ‘unselfish’? Is it putting others first or is it simply denying ourselves in some sort of regimented way? While self-denial is biblical and profitable for us, it is not an adequate replacement for the virtue of real love, is it? When you fast or give up something you enjoy for a period of time, this is not an end goal. It is a means to a greater goal. Jesus said that if we wanted to be his disciples we must deny our self, pick up our cross and follow him.

Our desires are not the base problem. Repeatedly, God tells us that he longs to give us our hearts desires. He promises unimaginable rewards, in heaven and now. CS Lewis: “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (The Weight of Glory)

Let’s remember especially in this Lenten season, our ultimate goal is not to give up, but to take on the cross and thus take on the endless love of Jesus.

Medical Update: Graft Versus Host Disease

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Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) has now settled in. This disease is common to post transplant patients and can occur at any time and range in severity from mild to life threatening. Certainly from a medical diagnosis viewpoint my current situation is mild, though each new symptom chips away at quality of life.

GVHD occurs when the graft, my donor cells which now comprise all of my blood and bone marrow, interprets my old DNA (my tissue and organs) as a threat and attacks it. Doctor’s prescribe medicine to keep GVHD at bay and they have now doubled the dose of those meds and given me a steroid cream to help with the maddening nighttime itching. (THAT has been a relief.) As with everything in this journey, the medications come with undesired side effects.

This is not unlike the “graft versus host” and “host versus graft” condition we all face spiritually. We are the host and whatever spirit we let enter and influence our lives becomes the graft. When we let worldly spirits (greed, bitterness, selfishness, laziness, divisiveness, pride, etc) guide us, they come to battle with our sense of right. We have little if any power to fight this battle on our own. When we invite the Spirit of God to control us, we are soon convicted of our ego-centric ways of thinking and behaving and the battle is on to grow a healthy heart and peaceful and loving life. In this case, it is Host Versus Graft Disease that should concern us, and the question is whether we will accept and use the power given to us to live victoriously through the battle.

Spiritually, God allows me the choice to accept or reject Him in hundreds of daily decisions I make, and because I am quite an imperfect host, I am aware of this truth. The difference between these two is that Jesus doesn’t reject me. His love and power is offered freely to me. How do we fight Host Versus Graft Disease? It comes only from humbly submitting to the love and convicting power of Jesus; only from doing what Jesus said: deny self and follow me. If we don’t, dare we call ourselves Christian?

Do What Jesus Said: Deny Self

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Would you believe the key to an abundant life is actually to DENY self? In fact it is a prerequisite for being a real Christian. Here is what Jesus said:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

When I was a young child in the Episcopal church the Lenten season meant giving up something for forty days. This was to serve as an example of denying self. I wanted to give up canned spinach, but no, it had to be something I liked: TV, candy, my unicycle riding, etc. I never understood how giving up a fairly trivial thing for forty days would make me a better Christian, but I guess it was a start.

What Jesus says is if we want to be more than a church goer, if we actually want to be known as His disciple, we must first deny our very selves and take on His identity. This is a pretty unpopular passage. After all, none of us like to give up stuff we’ve worked to accumulate. We certainly don’t like the idea of changing our life. But think of it this way. What if denying self meant giving up things we think bring us joy but don’t really?

What if we gave up time wasters that don’t add any lasting value to our life and picked up fulfillment?
What if we gave up worry and picked up peace?
What if we gave up disagreeing with everyone and picked up understanding?
What if we gave up bitterness and picked up forgiveness?
What if we gave up despair and picked up hope?
What if we gave up defeat and picked up a victorious life?

In other words, what if we viewed denying self as denying the things that fill up the day but don’t fulfill our lives? I think that is a large part of what Jesus is saying. Do what Jesus said: deny yourself and pick up His love and power. It is both an instant decision that you make and a life long process.