Dying to Self: The Path to True Fulfillment in Jesus

Luke 17:33 (KJV): "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it."

 In our everyday society, we are told that if we don't climb the corporate ladder, we will have achieved nothing, or if we don't buy a home, we haven't fulfilled the ultimate dream. In the world, we are encouraged to climb the ladder to earn more money, to get that recognition, that well-done pat on the back achievement. What about at church? The ultimate is to be recognised, well-liked, or stand behind the pulpit and preach. To achieve this, you might do anything within reason to please man. The problem here is you're serving man and not God; you're serving for your benefit and not for the benefit of pleasing God. This may have been, or still is, a common occurrence for you, as it was for me. For many years, I strived to please man; I wasn't serving to please God, and it wasn't sacrificial serving. I was serving to climb the corporate ladder, to get behind the pulpit. Don't get me wrong, I loved the people, but I served for my and no one else's benefit.

 Certain seeds must die first or dry out to germinate properly; otherwise, you will lose your planted seeds. Other seeds need to be planted fresh because they need the water content within the seed to survive the germination period.

 Who in their right mind would ever consider dying to live a fulfilled life? It's the total opposite of what the world says. For someone to die to self is considered weak. Society doesn't teach this. They don't teach that your life is not your own. The world's attitude is self-seeking: what can I get to benefit me?

 To live a fulfilled life, we must be willing to let go of our desires and needs. Just as certain seeds need to die to produce, it's the same with our lives. We need to surrender our lives totally to Jesus to live fulfilled lives. We need to die to ourselves, our interests, wants, needs, and loved ones; we need to give them all over to God. We must come to that point and say, "Not my will, God, but Thy will be done." When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, "Let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39). Jesus knew He had to surrender His life. He knew it would be difficult; otherwise, He would not have prayed that prayer. We all face this challenge: surrendering our lives to God and trusting in His plan. But we can be confident in this trust, for God's plan is always for our ultimate good and His glory.

 What does it take to preserve your life? How do you lose your life? I have already said we need to give everything to God, but what does that look like in the eyes of a Christian?

 To make sauerkraut, you need to use cabbage and salt to preserve it; then, over time, the cabbage will start to ferment, and eventually, it will taste like sauerkraut. To preserve something, you need something to alter its DNA so it lasts longer. For sauerkraut, it's salt. Salt is a natural preserver; it withdraws the water from foods, creating a longer shelf life.

 You're asking, "What has this got to do with my life?" You see, to preserve in Scripture is to rescue something if we put it passively; to be saved from death:—live, preserve.

 We need to lose our life in Jesus to preserve it. That means we need to have a life in Jesus to be saved from death. Everything we do needs to acknowledge our Father in Heaven. What we do isn't to promote ourselves, but Jesus is living in us. Jesus said, "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" (Matthew 20:28). I'm not saying this is easy because it's not. It's difficult to lay your life down as Jesus did. I have found that the more time I spend with God, the more He wants me to surrender. I have realised it's no longer me who lives but Christ who lives in me. Where the flesh is weak, the Spirit is willing. I know firsthand that if you don't put Christ first, your life will lead to destruction and unhappiness. If I put Christ first, my life will be preserved; I will have the joy of the Lord, and it will be fulfilling.

 Remember, if you sow destruction, you will reap destruction; if you sow a life with Christ, your life will be saved from death and destruction. That's what I want, and I'm sure that's what you want as well.