What It Means To Die To Self

Luke 9:23: “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.“

You will hear many Christians and even pastors use the phrase “dying to self”. But the truth is that phrase is not in the Bible, but it does have a practical purpose.  What that phrase really means is what Jesus said in the book of Luke. “If anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and daily and follow Me”.

The key here is to deny himself or herself, that is a strange concept in this culture that we live in. The majority of things we hear today have to do with how can I promote myself, or how can I become great, or how can I become something that people will admire? 

What a far cry from where our Lord gave up Himself on a cross for others and others that would mock and spit at Him but the cry from the cross, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.

Many Scriptures tell us that when Jesus died on the cross that those who believe in Him became in Christ, and as a result they died with Him. When we take up our cross, we are saying Lord, I am willing to die if need be that your will would be done. 

To die to ourselves means we deny our self and we put the Lord’s will before our own desires. II Corinthians 5:15 says, “and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.“

From a practical standpoint “dying to self” means that you no longer have to get your way all the time. It means you don’t have to have the last word. It means when someone pulls out in front of you and takes the parking spot you were headed for, you politely go to the next. It means when someone begins to tell you something behind someone’s back you all of sudden remember something and walk away.

It means sitting and listening to the other side of your teenage daughter or son and allow them to express themself. It is keeping your mouth shut and really listening to what your wife has to say. It means spotting that person who looks like they just don’t fit in and becoming a friend to them. It means walking away when someone wants to tell you a dirty joke. It means in the midst of conversation with several people and God is urging you to tell His side of the story no matter what others might think of you, you speak up, that He increases while you decrease. It means when there is a need at church to fill a vacancy you step up even though it may mean a an inconvenience for you.

There will be times when temptation comes your way and you ask the Lord for help and not give into it. 

Pastor Lee Cruse, I could go on and on with different examples but the Lord will show you when the time comes for that feeling inside you will crop up where you just know the Lord is watching you to see what you will do. And what if you fail? Tell Him you screwed up and ask for His mercy and forgiveness and He will. The Lord never writes across the top of your paper failure, but He writes re-take.