The Tremendous Value In Dying To Self: Free From “Self”

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16-25

Oh Jesus, I want to live my life in the fruit of Your Spirit. I want to die to self, to my flesh, to the flesh, because my flesh is wearing me out. Please have Your way with me so I can be blessed living in Your Spirit.

Lord, help me to die to self. I don’t want to go through my life reacting and responding to life in “self.” Left to my “self,” I can be prone to get impatient, selfish, unbelief, doubtful, angry, bitter, unforgiving, jealous, insecure, fearful, anxious, hurt, prideful, greedy, striving and everything else that hurts me. I want to die to self and let You live in me so I can react to life through You, in You. I (and You do, too) know I’ll be happier and have more peace, love, joy, and Your rest if You replace me with You. And, make me like You, Lord, so I can be a blessing to my wife and others.

Take My Life
Christian hymn by Frances Havergal

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love,
At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee;
Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King,
Always, only, for my King.

Take my silver and my gold,
Not a might would I withhold;
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my will, and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

Hallelujah, Jesus!

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

Note: While we may not agree with everything a particular church or Christian group teaches or believes, there are times when we can be blessed by something outside the realm of our current understanding of God.

I Used To Choose “Mark” Every Day

I choose Jesus every day because I used to choose “Mark” every day. And left to myself, life wasn’t getting better. In fact, “Mark” was getting worse without Jesus. And without Jesus, those around me were impacted by the increasingly unhappy, stressed out, frustrated, striving, full of care, angry “Mark.”

Although I wasn’t always aware of it, I used to live like this life was all about me.  I was wrong.  This life is all about Jesus, and He wants to give us all that He is.  Wow, what a blessing.

Jesus makes all the difference in this life. With Him, we have a clear choice. This is what repentance and newness of life are all about – And He rewards us with His times of refreshing. Off with the old (Mark), and on with the new, Jesus.

Choose Jesus, and choose Life.

Thanking and praising God in all things,

Mark

Note: While we may not agree with everything a particular church or Christian group teaches or believes, there are times when we can be blessed by something outside the realm of our current understanding of God.