We all have to die.
I recently went to a Vineyard pastor’s conference where I heard a speaker who talked about people wanting to be like, “Friends with Benefits” with God. What she meant, was that some of us like the benefits we get out of our relationship with God, but we don’t like the part where it costs us our life. (our time, energy and our money)
If we are really moving forward in our relationship with Christ, we will have to be like the kernel of wheat in John 12:24. It had to die in order to produce many seeds.
Being a “real” Christian, will be costly. We have to allow our old self to die (selfish desires, competitiveness, jealousy, etc.) and our new life will look different than our old life. Hopefully, it will look more like Christ.
We’re all going to die. So we might as well stop side-stepping this fact if we want to grow in our faith. When we “die” so to speak, is when God’s glory breaks out. (when we do things like prefer others, serve others, minister to the least of these, etc.)
Too often, I’m sorry to say, I do look for the benefits of being in a relationship with God more than looking for how I can “die.”
My heart is to be more like Him and I’m praying for grace to do that more.
I encourage you to continue to die to self in order to let Christ break out in you.
After all, we all have to die.
Blessings,
Thora
