OUR PRIORITY IN THE NEW YEAR
Did you know there’s no limit to the number of times someone can take a driving test? Cha Sa-soon, a South Korea Korean woman, proved that. She took the exam a whopping 960 times before she finally passed, earning her way into the Guinness Book of World Records. When tallied up, she forked over $10,000, averaging a test nearly four days a week, for five years. Upon passing, she became an instant celebrity and received a new car for her efforts. (Source: New York Times, Sept.3, 2010)
That got me thinking. One way of determining someone’s priorities is how often they do or say something. It’s a truth we can’t deny. In Ms. Sa-soon’s case, could anyone doubt the importance she placed on procuring that precious piece of plastic?
So, what’s important when it comes to Jesus? What statement or command does Jesus repeat most often? Besides “fear not,” this is it: “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25, NASB). These words, in virtually the same form, appear at least six times in Christ’s teachings, making it his most often repeated command. (See Matthew 10:38-39; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 9:23-24; 14:26-27; John 12:24-25).
Interesting. Jesus didn’t say to “feel good about yourself;” or “do what makes you happy;” or “find something that fulfills you.” That’s the world’s mantra. Rather than pushing a “feel good” agenda, Jesus tells us to die to self—it’s about sacrifice and surrender.
There’s a reason. The more I seek self-satisfaction, the more miserable and unhappy I’ll be. It’s only in dying to self and serving others—putting their needs above my own—that I discover fulfillment without even seeking it.
As we’ve just come out of the Christmas season, that’s what Ebenezer Scrooge discovered? Being mired in miserliness and meanness led to misery. But he discovered delight in sacrifice and surrender to others.
Isn’t that what Jesus modeled for us? If dying to self is that important to him, maybe we ought to check it out. Maybe we need to get alone with Jesus and confess our self-centeredness. Maybe we need to repent and… just do it! Nothing could be more important in the year ahead.
Principle: Only in dying to self and serving others do I find fulfillment.
Ponder:
● Without realizing it, in what ways have I been pursuing a life of self-fulfillment?
● In what ways can I practice a life of self-surrender in the year ahead?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Matthew 16:24-28.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, what’s important to you is so different from the world around us. Please give me the grace and strength to step into a life of self-surrender.
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