Have you ever noticed how selfish we all can be? How it is so natural that we rarely even notice? Have you ever gotten mad at someone because all they were doing was thinking of themselves but realized later that you were mad because they weren't doing whatever it was for you? We are all naturally selfish beings.
When Christ calls out to each of us "Follow Me," He is inviting us into a very unnatural way of living. God calls us to die to ourselves and our desires so that we may truly live. No longer is your life or mine our own. Paul says in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." No longer are we number one. We aren't even in the top ten anymore! We are dead last!!! Jesus said in Mark 12:30-31, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
I think we all pretty much are good with the command to love God with all that we are (even though it is a constant struggle), but the second part of that command is something we really have a problem with sometimes. I was in a Bible study with some guys the other day and the subject dealt with church discipline. We read in Galatians 6:2 "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." What Paul says here and Jesus' command in Mark got me thinking. I know that I don't want to keep sinning. I know that I want my life to make a difference for the Kingdom of God. If I see a brother or sister struggling in sin or life in general, I should love them enough to go to them and bear their burdens with them. Denying myself to help restore them, and as a result, bring glory to God as His body is strengthened and His name and Good News are taken to the nations.
1 Corinthians 6:19b-20 says, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." For those of us who have been saved by God, this verse is who we are now. Our plans and our bodies and our desires are dead, but the awesome thing is that those things have been replaced with God's glorious plans, God's incredible desires, and one day, glorified and perfect bodies in heaven.
From the world's point of view, all of this looks so strange, so weird, so unnatural. But for those who truly believe in Christ who gave His life for our salvation, we have a hope and a promise that one day we will be with our Creator in heaven worshiping God in all his glory in our perfect bodies. Until that time comes, this life will not be easy. It will be a battle that can only be fought through the power and strength of God, but we can hope in the promise of James 1:12 which says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
