Die to Thyself
Often times we are so distracted by the things that matters to us so much that we miss the opportunity to serve others on their needs without expecting anything in retribution.
John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.
— John 3:30
This week at Sunday school we discussed, among other things, the challenge of knowing God's will and live a practical Christianity. And one of the verses that came up was the episode when John the Baptist rebuked his disciples when they questioned him - in a kind of comparison - of Jesus baptizing converts by saying that "I am not the Christ", and "He must increase, but I must decrease".
I later came across a recording from 1944 of C. S. Lewis on a similar topic, where he states that we must die to our own personality so that when we "give up yourself, and you'll find your real self. Lose your life and you'll save it. Submit to death, submit with every fiber of your being, and you'll find eternal life."
Out of our self and into Christ we must go.
— C. S. Lewis
For me this is the most difficult and challenging thing to execute. The theory is clear, but acting in such a way that every cell of my body dies for myself is extremely difficult. As an example we have Jesus talking to the rich young man, teaching him exactly that and as a result "when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." (Matthew 19:22). That's exactly me right there, over and over again choosing the transient and momentary pleasures of this world to the detriment of the only one real and ethereal treasure.
And although, as C. S. Lewis says1, it is a path we have to walk on our own, I believe we should not walk this path alone. The life in the community of saints, the Church, helps us to be accountable and supported so that we can walk this path successfully.
1 Lewis, C.S. — Beyond Personality.
Photo by Brett Sayles.