Monday, September 6, 2010

DYING TO SELF

085 – SEPTEMBER 2010

Sometimes, we can become so self absorbed that, in fairness, we need to re-title and sing some love songs with a bit more truth. Some re-titles to consider:
Only You (The Platters) - Only Me
You are So Beautiful to Me (Kenny Rogers) - I am So Beautiful to Me
I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston) - I Will Always Love Me
I Got You Babe (Sonny & Cher) - I Got Me Babe
You Are the Sunshine of My Life (S. Wonder) - I Am Are the Sunshine of My Life
And my favorite …
You Were Always on My Mind (Willie Nelson) – I am Always on My Mind

Wouldn’t it be great to die to your selfishness? Wouldn’t it be wonderful? Think about it! Send up a little prayer and watch yourself be transformed! Simple! Done!
No more bad attitudes. No more temper tantrums! No more self-centeredness! Just walking around loving and serving on everybody!

When I made my commitment to Christ, I became a new creature. The Spiritual realm opened up to me and I began to see new things. Indeed I have a new nature. I have a new natural way to act. I don’t see things the old way. It’s not natural anymore. I listen and I see with a new nature.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

So, we made it. Great! All finished! … in one magical Holy Ghost sweeping of our souls! Mmmmm!
Yet, we quickly learn that the flesh is still operative. The Bible refers to it as the Old Man or the Old Nature (the old natural way). Without doubt, we have a new natural way … but the old man will still raise its ugly little head.
There are times when we can backslide to the point where the flesh establishes control. We can go long periods of time in some justified denial and slip into a satisfaction with self-centeredness that befuddles the truth of our magnificent conversion.
A person who has died does not have this conflict. Therefore - Die! While we live, we can die! We can make some great trades and die to our impatience, envies, boastings, demands, rudeness, records of wrong, and puffings up … to name a few.

Romans 6:7 “because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.”

Some folks interpret that this “dead to self” thing has been completed. Not me! Each morning, I deliberately and consciously put on the “selfless robe” and I pray;
”Dear Lord! Thank you for this great day. Help me to keep this robe on. Remind me that my purpose is to love and to serve. Help me to walk in my new nature and to avoid selfish actions that would draw me from that purpose for living. Amen!”
1 Corinthians 15:31 “ … I die daily.”