01 Jul Joy in Dying to Self
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. ~ Luke 23:46 (NIV) (Jesus’ seventh statement from the cross)
This month’s focus in A Family Guide to Joy (in All Circumstances) (Chapter 11) is Joy in Dying to Self where we reveal the eleventh station of Jesus’ Journey to Joy (see map below): Jesus knew joy because He died to self.
What is dying to self?
Leonard Bernstein, the late conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, was once asked to name the most difficult instrument to play. Without hesitation, he replied: “The second fiddle. I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find someone who can play the second fiddle with enthusiasm — that’s a problem; and if we have no second fiddle, we have no harmony.”
Hit close to home? It seems we all want to play first fiddle. But we should follow Christ’s example — even He yielded. Jesus played second fiddle to the Father in perfect harmony with the Spirit.
Jesus knew joy because He died to self.
In short, dying to self is the essence of the Christian life: taking up our cross and following Christ. He taught this in Luke 9:23-24 (EHV): “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
In fact, Jesus says we can’t be His disciples without following Him: “And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27 NLT).
But who really wants to die? Here’s a response to that: as it turns out, we’re already dead! As the apostle Paul soberly reminds us in Ephesians 2:1 (NASB), “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins….”
Whether you’re a Christian or not, you are a dead man walking if you don’t carry your cross and follow Jesus each day. Those who don’t know Christ journey through their lives, only to step off a cliff at the end of it all. For those who would know Christ, we must pick up our cross — and by doing so, find true life. So God is asking you to choose between two types of death:
- a death that leads to oblivion (stepping off a cliff), or
- a death that leads to life — dying to self!
Which will it be?
New Joy Resources!
Subscribe to the new A Faithful Dad YouTube channel which showcases over 2,000 original short videos including this month’s Joy in Dying to Self videos. Be encouraged through Jesus’ Journey to Joy as you pick up your cross daily and follow Him!
Joy Challenge #11: Choose one way you can die to self and how you’ll go about it.
Joy is knowing Jesus, following Him through all our trials.
Joyfully,
Travis L. Zimmerman
Pastor and Co-Founder
