Losing Self-Interest

     Recently I have been drawn to the words of Jesus found in the Book of Matthew, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself.”  He did not say, “Let him satisfy himself, be self preserving, or pursue personal advancement, but instead said, “Let him deny himself”.  Sometimes we look at the exaggerated sacrifices that we have made in following after Jesus and then ignore the blessings that He has given.  Satan was able to get Adam and Eve to forget that God said to “Eat freely” of so much. They were deceived into believing that God was withholding something good by exaggerating what they couldn’t have. 

     This past month we have been faced with the challenges of intimidation, slander, false accusations, and the disappointment of watching fellow brothers be subdued by these challenges.  We have seen how self-love is as cunning as the serpent. Its stubborn and hidden hold over our lives makes the pruning of self-love necessary in the first place.  As long as we live by our old nature we will be deceived by the wrongs of man.  Anger will rise up to fight back against those whom we have perceived are less than loving us.  Our hopes and fears will be like an open wound for our enemy to continue to pick open.  Living at the mercy of the crowd you will never find peace.   Injustices to self will bother you. Just how touchy your self-love is will be apparent when you are insulted and you want to scream “Murderer”.  Added with the insensitivity of people and our desire to pick on each other’s weaknesses, we end up exaggerating our sacrifices. 

     The only hope is to lose your self-interest.  It is there that you cannot be harmed.  You cannot be attacked through your hopes and fears, and you will be able to find peace even going through the cross in your own life.   The Lord will be near to you and in fact, it’s your sacrifices that begin to be ignored and the promises of what He has done for you that get expounded upon.  According to Scripture we deserved Hell, but were offered the forgiveness of the Cross.  Believers received forgiveness of all their sins, Col 1:14.  Freedom from condemnation, Rom 8:1, Gift of eternal life, Jn 10:28, He has clothed you with His righteousness, Phil. 3:9, He has raised us up in heavenly places, and blessed us, with all spiritual blessings in Christ, Eph. 1:3, 2:6, and sealed us with the Holy Spirit, Eph. 1:13,14, and has offered us a glorious future, Rom. 8:17-18.  This is living life on the glorious narrow road!