“But God doesn’t call us to lives of fun or even comfort. These things aren’t bad, but they aren’t the endgame. Rather, God calls us to lives of sacrifice, of taking up our crosses daily, and of following Him. . . . Sacrifice is not always fun or entertaining, but it’s fulfilling. It’s purposeful.”- Bob Merritt
“To live [real life] you have to die first. . . . The end of me is where real life begins.”- Kyle Idleman
As Bob Merritt continues Chapter 11 of Done With That, he talks about how to make the shift from selfishness to sacrifice. Three Scriptural concepts provide the key. Pastor Merritt covers the first two today.
1. Die daily. Because selfishness reigns so strongly in us, we must confront and crucify it every day. And often it’s the little things that compel us to choose whether or not we crucify the flesh.
Writing in The End of Me, Pastor Kyle Idleman describes the problem of dying to yourself:
“The problem with dying to myself is that it’s so daily. I have to make the choice over and over again. I can live for myself or I can live for Christ, which means picking up my cross — at the drugstore, at the gas pump, in my living room, in traffic.”
2. Sacrifice out of fullness. As Pastor Merritt emphasizes, God gave each of us something to sacrifice. For some, that might involve time or talent. And for others, material things.
But what happens when you find yourself with nothing or little to give? Then selfishness becomes a means of survival. However, there’s hope. The Father possesses an unlimited supply of everything you need. Once you receive His love, you can give love.
The author exhorts: “It’s time to be done with the endless cycle of selfishness and self -preservation so you can be transformed and experience a new and better life.”
Today’s question: What’s tempted you to view a life of fun and even comfort as the endgame? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Nobody escapes the fire – nobody”
