Read John 12:24-26; - 24 I am telling you the truth: a grain of wheat remains no more than a single grain unless it is dropped into the ground and dies. If it does die, then it produces many grains. 25 Those who love their own life will lose it; those who hate their own life in this world will keep it for life eternal. 26 Whoever wants to serve me must follow me, so that my servant will be with me where I am. And my Father will honour anyone who serves me.
• We live in a selfish and
self-absorbed culture like few other eras in human history.
• We read articles like "We Have
Too Much," revealing how people crave things that make them feel
good—cruises, makeovers, golf lessons, and so on. It's a tragic scenario to see
people spend buckets of money to give themselves grins. We are the most
entitled who have ever lived. It is all about me.
• Yet all of this material abundance
hasn't made anyone happier. More stuff doesn't translate into happier people.
Ironically, the more we have, the more we want.
• The evidence is clear in our own
lives when our focus gets off the Lord.
• As followers of Christ, we know that if you want to be really happy, and to experience true satisfaction, the one thing we can do is die to self and live for God.
Jesus gives a little gardening lesson in John 12:24 to teach us this profound truth: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit and has abundance."
A
seed has to die before a plant grows. We don't produce godly fruit in our lives
unless we die to our own goals, dreams, desires, self-centredness, ambitions, my
wanting things to work out how I want, etc.
Some may think: That doesn't seem right. I lose everything I want? Contrary to how it may seem, you come out the winner when you trade your list for God's list. My little goals traded for God's jaw-dropping promises. My teaspoon of dreams for His Ocean of purposes.
No
one who surrenders everything to Christ has ever regretted it. Millions of
satisfied customers have filled the ages. But it's got to be done His way.
Sadly,
some who claim to be Christ's followers never get very far on "dying to
self." It has been said of missionaries, "Oh, the tragedy of it.
Sadder than seeing the heathen bowing down to their idols is the sight of
Christian missionaries who have sacrificed so much: their country, their
worldly goods, their homes, their loved ones—but have never given themselves to
God – they have never died to their self-centredness."
As Jesus Christ's followers, give Him your all. Stop looking for things to give you happiness or satisfaction. When you turn it all over to Him, you will find what you've been looking for all along. The presence of God.
How
to know how to get it right
And
John 16:13 When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he
will lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but
he will speak of what he hears and will tell you of things to come.
Good to see that you are still preaching the truth Ps Tim. Refreshing still in these times. Thinking of all of you as you enter into the reality of the pandemic, praying for you as we here are coming out of it. Some sad days we have lived, but this too shall pass.
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