Dying to Self....

I never thought about this “dying to self” attitude in this way before. When you have an attitude that is ready to suffer for Christ’s sake, it shows you that the power of those sinful desires that most people spend their entire lives chasing, has lost its heavy influence over you. It shows you that God’s will has a renewed influence on you and you are more concerned and anxious to do His will more than follow your own desires. You have experienced the lack of fulfillment that the fleshly desires have on people and are willing to give them up to serve God. Yes, those desires are still there, but they lack the appeal they once had. This change in attitude has a direct effect on your behavior, so those that know your past are astonished at the lack of desire you have in continuing in those patterns. This transparency is what is needed in society today. The lack of fear in sharing your weaknesses and struggles, clearly paints the picture of a transformed life. What a witness! Yes, you will lose some friends, but you will lose them in pursuit of the truth. And what kind of friends are they if they don’t accept the truth? Which is life-generating and soul-satisfying. Who can say that about what they do? It’s all about the willingness to take responsibility and accept the persecution of suffering for Christ’s sake. Are you willing?

1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude He had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy–their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 1 Peter 4:1-5