Dying to Self

"'If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."
-Luke 9:23-24

The Lord has continually brought up this passage in the last few weeks, and I've just been dwelling upon what it really means to deny oneself. Is it giving up my "rights" to a hot shower? To food that I like? To safety? To saving my skin from the intrusion of needles? Because I'm sure all those things will happen in Africa. However, the Lord has been revealing it to me that while those things may be part of denying myself, it really goes FAR beyond that. Now, hold on to that thought.

Over break, I read a biography on Gladys Aylward. What a remarkable woman! The Lord used this small woman to stop a prison riot, to lead hundreds of children across the mountains of China to escape from the Japanese, and to bring many people to Christ. This is a woman who has many incredible accomplishments to be proud of, yet what does she say? She says, "I wasn't God's first choice for what I've done for China…I don't know who it was…It must have been a man…a well-educated man. I don't know what  happened. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he wasn't willing…and God looked down…and saw Gladys Aylward…And God said - "Well, she's willing." Humility. Gladys Aylward was a parlor maid that was turned down by the Mission in England. They told her she was too old to learn the language, she wasn't good at theology, and pretty much that she would not be a good missionary. Weakness.

"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." -2 Corinth. 12:9
"He must become greater; I must become less." -John 3:30
""So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, "We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty." -Luke 17:10

This is what the Lord has been repeatedly showing me lately: God uses the humble and the weak. What does this have to do with denying myself? Everything. It is knowing that in and of myself, there is nothing good in me, that all my righteous acts are like filthy rags. The only good in me is because of Christ and His power at work within me. It is wanting less of me and more of Christ. It is coming to the end of myself and depending solely upon Christ and His sufficiency. It is knowing that I am simply a TOOL. I am an unworthy servant simply doing my duty.... and what an honor it is to be a part of His work. Do you see the connections? The ironic thing is that it is in dying to ourselves that we truly find life. The Lord is the treasure that is completely worth dying to ourselves and losing everything for.

Of course, my entire life will be a journey of dying to myself. Unfortunately, my sinful nature is selfish and prideful. But I pray that He may become more and that I may become less, so that all the more, His power may be at work within me and I can be a tool to accomplish His awesome purposes.

I'm just trying out putting pictures on my blog, so the picture is kind of random. Although, I do have to say that I am very thankful to have these girls on the journey of dying to self with me. They are incredible women of God, and I love them!