To have a wrong idea about the self will produce a wrong self, and a wrong self may mean a misspent of life. The self is the sole thing we own. It is the one and only thing we brought into the world, and it is the only thing that we will take out of the world. So the way we understand it and deal with it is crucial to our life both now and hereafter. For what we are hereafter depends on what we are after here. Pause.. and digest the last 2 lines. Does it really make sense?
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me
Mark 8:34
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me
Galatians 2:20
Have we really spend some time and meditate on these verses? What does it really mean and how does it affect the "self"?
Besides Discipleship Training School, DTS is also an abbreviation of Die To Self. I've spent a year of learning how to "die to self" in the training schools and He has led me to cure alot of the disease of selfism. Mentoring is not an easy task because mentors represent God as an authority figure. There is always a possibility of God being misrepresented. It is a heavy responsibility that we carry as the follower of Christ. Same goes with all other kinds of leaders. Discipleship involves nothing less and nothing more than self-surrender. You have to constantly replace your self-centeredness into people-focus person.
self-surrender is not self-committed... you can be committed to someone without being surrendered to him or to her. A soldier may be committed to the military service without being inwardly surrendered to it. He might do his duty but unhappy/sore on the inside. Many times, we fall into the same trap that the enemy loves for us to believe. As long as I'm committed to Christianity.. I go to church on Sunday, I join prayer meeting and Cell Group, I serve in the ministry, therefore I'm committed to Him. But, are we really surrendering our whole self to Him? Same goes in the case of us being in any kinds of ministry.
I'm sharing on 'self-centerdness' is because I was attacked by the sefism disease for the past few days. In the previous post, I talked about God's will, His way not My way. I loudly proclaimed that I will surrender myself to Him and let Him do it His way because He is GOD! He has a great plan for me. As I continue to wait on Him... I became very frustrated. I saw the possibilities of what He wants me to do and yet I was laying out the conditions for Him. "Lord.. if you want me to do this, I want it to be like this, this and this. I will only do it if this is here and if this happens and if I can do it like this.. now Lord, or I will not do it!"
I was in a state where I was so sure that He loves me so much that He would give whatever I asked for. He will fulfill my desires and all that I ask for. I've forgotten the most basic thing of a Father's heart.. A father who loves his children will not give a stone when you ask for a bread.. he knows what's best for you.
But I thought, What happens to the self when it is totally surrendered to God? Will I still be happy? Will I get to do what my heart wants? He slapped me with all the things that I've experienced with Him.. His faithfulness.. His peace.. His loving tender and warm presence that was with me all the time eventhough I may seem like I have nothing in the world. When the self is surrendered to God, He takes it and starts the process of wiping it clean of self-interest. It gives him the opportunity to cleanse us from selfishness and gives it back to us after the cleansing. For some reason, whenever I think about the word self-centered, it reminds me of Golum from the Lord of the Rings.. he became such and ugly creature when he focused so much on the thing that he considered "precious". In my case or should I say.. our case, it is the "self".
It is so easy for me to say "Lord, I surrender everything that I have to you." I confess that I've failed to really carry it out but He is faithful. He did not let me wander far but far enough for me to see it on my own that I had left Him somewhere along the road.
One verse that kept me trusting in Him is "Be Still and know that I Am God". If He is not the one that you and I can trust, then who else is there?
It is us that He sees it important. It is not the service nor is the mission. It is because He wants to satisfy our spirit and so we find ourselves doing things His way but heading towards the gaining what your heart desired. It is because He wanted me to discover myself and my worth, everything was done just so that I will find my real self. (Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever looses his life for my sake will find it Matt 10:39)
For to me, to live is Christ and die is gain
Have we really spend some time and meditate on these verses? What does it really mean and how does it affect the "self"?
Besides Discipleship Training School, DTS is also an abbreviation of Die To Self. I've spent a year of learning how to "die to self" in the training schools and He has led me to cure alot of the disease of selfism. Mentoring is not an easy task because mentors represent God as an authority figure. There is always a possibility of God being misrepresented. It is a heavy responsibility that we carry as the follower of Christ. Same goes with all other kinds of leaders. Discipleship involves nothing less and nothing more than self-surrender. You have to constantly replace your self-centeredness into people-focus person.
self-surrender is not self-committed... you can be committed to someone without being surrendered to him or to her. A soldier may be committed to the military service without being inwardly surrendered to it. He might do his duty but unhappy/sore on the inside. Many times, we fall into the same trap that the enemy loves for us to believe. As long as I'm committed to Christianity.. I go to church on Sunday, I join prayer meeting and Cell Group, I serve in the ministry, therefore I'm committed to Him. But, are we really surrendering our whole self to Him? Same goes in the case of us being in any kinds of ministry.
I'm sharing on 'self-centerdness' is because I was attacked by the sefism disease for the past few days. In the previous post, I talked about God's will, His way not My way. I loudly proclaimed that I will surrender myself to Him and let Him do it His way because He is GOD! He has a great plan for me. As I continue to wait on Him... I became very frustrated. I saw the possibilities of what He wants me to do and yet I was laying out the conditions for Him. "Lord.. if you want me to do this, I want it to be like this, this and this. I will only do it if this is here and if this happens and if I can do it like this.. now Lord, or I will not do it!"
I was in a state where I was so sure that He loves me so much that He would give whatever I asked for. He will fulfill my desires and all that I ask for. I've forgotten the most basic thing of a Father's heart.. A father who loves his children will not give a stone when you ask for a bread.. he knows what's best for you.
But I thought, What happens to the self when it is totally surrendered to God? Will I still be happy? Will I get to do what my heart wants? He slapped me with all the things that I've experienced with Him.. His faithfulness.. His peace.. His loving tender and warm presence that was with me all the time eventhough I may seem like I have nothing in the world. When the self is surrendered to God, He takes it and starts the process of wiping it clean of self-interest. It gives him the opportunity to cleanse us from selfishness and gives it back to us after the cleansing. For some reason, whenever I think about the word self-centered, it reminds me of Golum from the Lord of the Rings.. he became such and ugly creature when he focused so much on the thing that he considered "precious". In my case or should I say.. our case, it is the "self".
It is so easy for me to say "Lord, I surrender everything that I have to you." I confess that I've failed to really carry it out but He is faithful. He did not let me wander far but far enough for me to see it on my own that I had left Him somewhere along the road.
One verse that kept me trusting in Him is "Be Still and know that I Am God". If He is not the one that you and I can trust, then who else is there?
It is us that He sees it important. It is not the service nor is the mission. It is because He wants to satisfy our spirit and so we find ourselves doing things His way but heading towards the gaining what your heart desired. It is because He wanted me to discover myself and my worth, everything was done just so that I will find my real self. (Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever looses his life for my sake will find it Matt 10:39)
For to me, to live is Christ and die is gain
Philippians 1:21
1 comment:
well said, my friend!
proud of what He's doing in you..
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