God led me on a journey of learning to experience an abundant life in Him. He said to me “die to yourself to follow me.” This is often a hard principle to grasp as a follower of Jesus Christ but it is a necessary step in overcoming trauma and experiencing the full blessings of God’s kingdom on this earth.
This post is part of the Encounter God devotional series. You can check it out here
What does die to yourself mean in the bible?
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
In Galatians 2:20, dying to yourself is letting go of this life so that God’s glory can be revealed in you. When you are born from above, you forgo this life so that God’s kingdom can come alive within you. We share in the suffering of Christ by putting ourselves on the cross and nailing our feet and hands. This means that you are willing to nail your job, your wishes, dreams, aspirations, and plans to the cross. You no longer want the desires of this world because you are essentially dead to your old self.
How to die to Yourself and live for Christ
Live a life of Faith and total surrender
You live your life in complete faith that God is a great shepherd. Thus, your life requires submission to your husband ( Jesus) who will walk along side you to manifest His wonderful plans for your life. It is important to die to self daily so that your flesh nature will no longer manifest. God’s presence ( nature) will reign in your life and be on full display for the world to see.
Share in God’s suffering
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:17-18
You share in God’s suffering because it is painful to fight against your fleshly desires. Imagine being on the cross, and being told that you will have to give up your career, your spouse and children to God. If you are willing to die, you will respond with yes Lord, which will result in one nail being pierced into the hand. The more you sacrifice of your life and all of it’s affairs to God, the more that you will experience the hardships of being nailed to the cross. God does this to reveal His glory ( His presence here on earth and to fulfill His purpose as it is being accomplished in Heaven right now).
Related post: How To Experience God’s Presence Now As A Mom
Become a disciple of Christ
To Die to yourself means that you will follow Jesus and His foot steps. As a student of Christ, you will learn that to die to self is to gain eternal life. In my walk with the Lord, I had to let go of my dreams of having children and a husband. Once, I was able to commit to self-sacrifice of my desires, I realized that I could finally find rest in God. God is eternally good! He is more than enough to fulfill my deepest desires because He is my deepest desire!!
Dying is God’s perfect will for your life
Dying to yourself is to hate your life ( disown it to the point that you are dead). God comes first before your own blood family. Nothing from your past including wounds, trauma, rejection, etc. will affect you anymore because it God’s perfect will for you to experience God’s transforming glory!
When you die to yourself, these are the heavenly benefits:
- You become perfected in faith, hope, and love
- The Tree of life is rooted in you and will produce much fruit
- The kingdom of God becomes alive within you ( God’s government)
Related posts:
Encounter Intimacy/Worship: How to Encounter God’s Presence Now: Devotional (Part 1)
Identity & Abide in God and His Truth: How to Encounter God’s Presence Now: Devotional (Part 2)
