Colossians 3:2-3 – “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (NIV)
Death. A part of life. But not something most people like to talk about. Yet, when you look at Christianity, we see death talked about and seen all around. But there is something that is strikingly different about the death mentioned in the Bible.
We are so used to life and death. People are born. They live their lives. And then they die. Death is the end. It truly is the nail in the coffin! But when you read about death in the Bible it is just the opposite. Death is not the end. In fact, death is just the beginning. Christ died on the cross. But after his death came life. Glorious life.
We are called to die. Die to self. Die to sin. But we are called to die not as the end of our lives. We are called to die SO THAT we might live. This idea baffles human logic. It makes no sense. We believe we are to preserve our lives at all costs. After all, isn’t that what the world calls living?
With Jesus, life only comes when we surrender ourselves. Die to our own desires, will, and way, and choose to live for him. As I heard Andy Stanley recently say, “The essence of following Jesus is self-denial, not self-improvement.”
Questions to Consider
- Is there an area of your life that you are holding on to, trying to preserve, that you know should be surrendered to Jesus?
- What is the biggest obstacle that keeps you from dying to yourself so that you can find real life for Christ?
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