I read through this morning and it really touched my heart. I realize the more I struggle in self against what GOD is doing in my life the more alone and difficult the situation becomes. HE does call us to die to self and live to HIM, but what is so amazing is that HE gives us everything we need to do this.God Bless maryjane__________________DIE!! So you can Live... Agitated resistance against the cross, an unwillingness to suffer. Proof of the need to grow. The resistance of the cross and pain is itself harder than simply bearing the cross alone without resistance. We make bearing the cross twice the load by resisting. So dont resist, and your cross is easier to bear. If you can feel the pain, there is still carnal-life in you. Because you cant feel pain when youre dead. If you let go of what is not yours, you bear much fruit. If you fight death and hold on to what you think is rightfully yours, you bear no fruit and you remain alone. The question ISNT, Why do people have things, relationships, Life, etc. that I dont have? The question we should be asking is, What am I holding back from God? How do we have depth of relationship with Jesus? Be faithful with the little things. The opportunities that arise throughout the day to choose Him or our flesh. These small choices draw us close to Him or push us away.
halleluya
Indeed my sister, He is a wonderful Father who loves his children and has made it possible that we can die to self. Without Him, impossible, but with Him guaranteed. No one will stand before Him with a viable excuse. So many languish in bondage and oppression around us and it is a most miserable state given the freedom that can be had that came by His dying and subsequently ours. Men and women hold onto sin as though it were a safety net, fearing bondage to Christ which is the only true freedom that exists. As we can attest, it is a most miserable life to hang onto even a thread of the fabric of this world (sin) and maintain our relationship with the Father. He will not forsake us so we must be diligent not to forsake Him and allow evil a foothold.
Surrender to His Will. Make His Will your Will just like Jesus always delighted to do His Father's will.It is not enough to do God's will, but we must be brought to the place where we DELIGHT to do it. DELIGHT to die. You cannot delight to die without the Holy Spirit. If you "surrender" and "die" with an "attitude" (begrudgingly) you are not dying. You are just going through external motions but not doing it with joy and nothing is taking place within you except you are growing in self-righteousness.Psa 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.Psa 112:1 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: Heb 12:2 ...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross... In Christ,Sarah