Have You Surrended?

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

This morning, I read a news article about a woman who was frustrated in a McDonald's Drive Thru. It seems that she was upset because they did not have the food item that was listed on the menu and as a result, she pulled a gun on the worker!! Where is all this anger coming from? Every day we hear of multitudes of shootings, many over trivial things!

I am not a psychologist, but it appears to me that the majority of anger issues stem from a sense that a person's rights was violated or denied!

• Road rage occurs when someone is driving too slow and another person feels their right to drive faster is prohibited. 
• Domestic violence is often caused by refusing to yield personal "rights." 
• A teacher was brutally assaulted after she took away a student's computer toy.
• People get infuriated when someone cuts in line.

What would happen if instead of demanding OUR rights, we put others first? Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 I know that goes against human nature but I think it would solve many problems. 

Have You Died Today?

 

“...I die daily...” 1 Corinthians 15:31

After 40+ years in active ministry and observing people, I think I have a good understanding of people and their behavior. Since people were created by God and His image, I evaluate people from a Biblical world view. Without being simplistic, I believe that many of today's problems are a direct violation of one Scriptural principle: the death of our SELF life.

Paul saw his life as a daily death to himself. [Figuratively speaking] “I die daily” echoes Jesus’ command to those who want to follow Him: “If anyone would come after me let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The cross was an instrument of death. When Jesus said that in order to follow Him we must carry a cross, He meant that something must die before we can live. We must die to ourselves, our rights, and our desire to be our own boss. We must die daily.

• People commit road rage because they refuse “to die” to their perceived right to a piece of highway.

• Marriages have conflict because someone refuses “to die” to their 'rights.' We want our way instead of surrendering our right. Romans 12:10

• Children refuse to share because that would mean surrendering their right. 

• People commit murder because they haven't put to death their anger.

• Churches divide because someone refuses to put “self” to death.

• Politicians often they look out for themselves (self) instead of the people that elected them.

To deny oneself or dying to self can only take place through total surrender. God wants you and all of you. He wants all that you are and all that you have – your whole heart, mind, body, and soul. In order to live for Christ, the dying to self must take place each day. Can we say as in Galatians 2:20, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”?