Dying to Live

 

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26 ESV).

 

This summer has been especially busy. At the beginning of the summer Logan (my oldest grandson) received his formal acceptance letter from Texas A&M University. His twin sister, Faith, started there last year while he stayed at home to continue working and go to community college. Both are now sophomores at A&M. Since they are sophomores, they are also eligible to live off-campus. They have chosen different locations that suit their individual needs more, though both needed some furniture to move into their new housing. I had requests for four different pieces of furniture to build for them. I was thrilled to be able to do it. So, after getting the plans together for each piece I began to calculate the materials list. It is always fun to go to the lumber yard for a specific project. They wanted the pieces stained and we chose some Idaho premium white pine for most of the construction.

 

It is always very satisfying to think that these pieces of furniture all began with a living tree, harvested, and milled according to the specifications necessary to produce beautiful furniture. It is funny how I look at these vast forests of timber and see beyond the beauty of the forest to that which they may become in the hands of various craftsmen. The life of Christian discipleship aims to follow that pattern every day. To surrender to Jesus is to “die to live,” giving over to him our sin, our wounds, and all our baggage so that he may refill us with new life through the Holy Spirit. It’s much more complex than woodworking, and the results are literally life-changing.

 

The call to find our lives by losing them is a bit hard to grasp, though. This doesn’t come ­naturally to us. But as we reflect on this theme in the coming weeks, we will see that dying to live is a journey of joy, gratitude, and grace. It begins with the craftsman. Jesus is the Master Craftsman!

 

Fear and Anxiety

 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV).

 

Life gives us opportunities to enjoy calm and peacefulness. Life also gives us opportunities to be anxious. We can grow anxious when sickness comes—especially when sickness might lead to death. We can also feel anxious when we run out of money for food or for our monthly bills. Relationships can create times of anxiety when tempers flare and anger burns. There have been times when I have become anxious. Usually, they have come with some unexpected health issue affecting those whom I love. They have been terrifying at times.

 

What do you become anxious about? Perhaps you are experiencing such a time now in your life. The Apostle Paul comes to the end of his letter to the Philippians and simply says, “… but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (v. 5).

 

I remember when Mary was recovering from a very complicated and difficult surgery. She was in the ICU, but the staff of the hospital were gracious enough to allow me to stay with her around the clock. Late in the night, when things were somewhat calmer and Mary seemed to be resting comfortably, I would slip out of the room and find a darkened waiting area where I could be alone for a bit. It was during those times when I engaged in conversation with the Lord at a level that brought comfort and assurance that He had a plan for our good. The more I understood that one truth, the more I was able to stave off the fear and anxiety.

 

Whatever you may be facing today, I encourage you to face it with the knowledge that the Lord is present with you in a way that will strengthen and encourage you through it. Rest in that knowledge that all things in your life are filtered through His perfect will and purpose to bring you good. Take a deep breath of the Spirit and draw life from Him. Think on His great grace in all things on your behalf. Feel the fear and anxiety ebb away in your mind. He will replace it with assurance!

 

Servanthood

 

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:1-8 ESV).

 

We all have relationships. These may include family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, church members, and especially Jesus. In the city of Philippi, Paul had relationships with a jailer and his household, the city magistrates, Lydia and her household, a female slave who was tormented by a spirit, and the slave girl’s owners. Several of those people became part of the first church in Philippi (cf. Acts 16:11-40). Paul had the attitude of Jesus in all those relationships. His mindset was humility, giving up privilege to be a servant like Jesus, putting himself in positions where his service for Christ might even cost him his life. Paul was willing to do that because he was confident of the eternal life that Jesus came to make available for us all.

 

Jesus, who is Lord and King over all creation, came to give us eternal life. He humbled himself and paid the price for our sin. By doing that, he made eternal life possible for all who believe in him. He also became our perfect model in life. Even the last moments of his earthly life were spent modeling the life god desires for all of us. At the last supper Jesus began by washing the disciples’ feet. It was a menial task to be performed by servants of the house. Yet, Jesus shows them that nothing is “beneath” us in the service of the gospel toward others.

 

Paul humbled himself and told others about Jesus so that they too would hear the good news and “acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Our attitude toward others should follow the same pattern. How will you be a servant to someone today, for Jesus’ sake?

 

The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band

 

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25 ESV).

 

The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band is the official marching band of Texas A&M University, composed of over 400 men and women from the school's Corps of Cadets. It is nationally known for its precision military marching formations on the football gridiron and is the largest military marching band in the world. The band operates under strict military guidelines as an integral part of the Corps of Cadets.  I am very familiar with the various formations and precision maneuvers they can perform. While I was in the Corps at A&M, I was never good enough to claim the precision of those who were selected for the band. I always marvel at their performance.

 

This is something of what the apostle Paul teaches in our reading today. He insists that the Galatian believers should “walk by the Spirit,” be “led by the Spirit,” and “keep in step with the Spirit.” It is the language of habitual performance. He also warns about what happens when our steps in life are not in coordination with the Spirit. There is immorality, impurity, conflict, selfish ambition, jealousy, discord, rage, and more. That is a dangerous place to be, and if we live that way, we will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Being in step with the Spirit, however, produces “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Life in Christ is designed to be harmonious. It involves a community loving and serving each other, just as the Trinity—God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—love each other. These verses can serve as a litmus test of our life. Do you exhibit selfishness, pride, and conflict? Or do you live with love, goodness, and self-control? Perhaps it’s time for you to get into step with the Holy Spirit!

 

The Cost of Following Jesus

 

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’” (Luke 14:25-30 ESV).

 

One of the chores I take care of at our home is mowing. It is a time-consuming activity since we have a very large yard. I do have the luxury of using a small tractor that mows a much larger swath than a walk behind mower. It still takes about two hours to mow. Kyle does the harder tasks of edging, weed eating, and blowing off the walks and driveway. That takes about two hours as well. If you’ve been following our weather this summer you know it can get very warm in August, so we can spend quite a bit of energy doing the yard. The exercise is good, but when I am done, I can tell that I have used up strength and energy. It costs me something to do the work, even though I enjoy doing it.

 

In our reading for today, Jesus talks about the cost of following him. Some of his words sound harsh, and sometimes Jesus spoke this way to make clear that following him is not easy. Instead, it can be very hard work. For example, following Jesus can mean that our relationships with family and friends become strained because they do not believe in him. But Jesus is not saying we must literally “hate” them, because we also know that he calls us to love everyone, even our enemies (cf. Matthew 5:44). In another passage Jesus states the same thing in a way that is easier to understand: “Anyone who loves their father or mother… [or] son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (cf. Matthew 10:37). In other words, to follow Jesus, we need to put him first in our lives. We need to be willing to put aside everything else we have to be his disciples.

 

Following Jesus is often difficult; but rest assured, nothing can be more satisfying and profitable than doing so. Even the difficult experiences will turn to joy in His direction.

 

Never Too Late

 

While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. (Mark 5:35-43 ESV).

 

Our reading today seems to indicate that the people who were present for Jesus’ miracle in raising Jairus’ daughter to life must have thought Jesus was too late. I find it very common that we tend to believe that God is often late in His work in our lives. Sometimes we may even come to believe that He has forgotten us completely, leaving us abandoned and hopeless. Nothing could be further from the truth. God is never late! He is always right on time!

 

Remember the context of this miracle. When Jairus’s daughter got up and started walking around, the people there were astonished. We do not need to wonder why. The young girl had died but was alive again! When Jesus had arrived at the house, the community mourners had already begun their customary crying and wailing. The people figured there was no reason to bother Jesus anymore, for the girl had died.

 

Their behavior contrasted with the calm and persistence of Jesus, however. And when he said, “Don’t be afraid; just believe,” the people laughed at him. Ordering all those people out of the house, Jesus took the father and mother, along with three of his disciples, to where the child was. And I wonder if Jesus smiled a little himself. He knew Psalm 2:4-6: “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them, saying, ‘I have installed my king.’” The confirmation of Jesus as King meant that weeping would be turned into joy, and Jesus knew that he would turn wailing into amazement. Jesus calmly and gently ordered the girl to get up. No more death, just life and praise to God as a sign of his kingdom coming to earth. In your dark times, watch for Jesus; he still comes with power, bringing hope, at just the right time. Trust Him!

 

The Blink of an Eye

 

[Jesus said] “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” (John 6:47-51 ESV).

 

Today I have reached another little milestone. I am 74 years old. Sounds like a very long time, especially when you realize that means my birthdate was in 1949! However, I can assure you that it has seemed like a “blink of the eye.” Perhaps it was not always that way. It did seem like forever before I’d be able to get my driver’s license. I do remember how long it seemed before I would finish all my formal education and finally get to begin the work God called me to perform full-time. But, as the years passed and all the other milestones were experienced, time lost its quantity and I felt the quality of life as it passed. Mt marriage to Mary, the birth of our children, their marriage, and the birth of their children (our grandchildren) all seemed to be measured by how wonderful these experiences were rather than when they took place. I think that gives us an insight into the understanding of “forever”.

 

The term "forever" in the Bible refers to an indefinitely long period of time, perpetuity, ever, forever, eternity. The Greek word used in these passages is a combination of the preposition "for" (eis) implying, in this case, with the word "ever" (aion—age). Jesus said in our reading today: "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever.” This is the promise to us as Christians that, if we have accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord, we will live forever with Him throughout all of eternity.

 

That simply means that there will be an unlimited supply of birthdays! I wonder if that means I’ll be able to have birthday cake forever too? LOL… I hope you are having a wonderful day today. What we have in front of us as believers is so wonderful it cannot even be imagined. Enjoy them all. They do pass in the blink of an eye; and, they last forever!