More of You, Less of Me

Posted in , By Nick Smith 1 comments

I’m sure we’ve all heard it before – As Christians, we are called to die to self (see these verses).  What a strange concept though.  I’m sure non-Christians overhear us talking about this and furrow their eyebrows in confusion while they consider us to be suicidal religious nuts.  In a way, though, we ARE suicidal religious nuts.  Dying to self is our living Christian Jihad; we are at war with powers and principalities in the spiritual realm (see Ephesians 6:12) and the way we battle is by laying down our lives as living sacrifices (see Romans 12:1-2).

 
But what the heck does it mean to be a living sacrifice?  I’ve been thinking about this question a lot lately, especially as it pertains to myself.  Dying to self isn’t some instantaneous event that occurs once we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior.  It is a process; it requires both time and effort.  It is finding those things that are a part of us that are not from God and laying them down, sacrificing them.  And it is finding those things that are from God and picking them up and making them a part of who we are.
 
This process is tough.  It’s tough to figure out which things are and are not from God, and once we figure it out, the sacrificing part is tough too.  And it’s personal.  We each have different things that need to be sacrificed.  Sure, we have God helping us out, and if we are wise we have accountability partners and/or mentors encouraging us along the way, but in the end it is you and you alone who has to step up and make the sacrifice.
 
One thing that I, personally, have been struggling to sacrifice lately is politics.  I wrote a post a few months ago entitled Why I’m Done With Politics.  What I’m learning is that sacrificing something is easier said than done.  I just get so fired up about the issues.  I want to weigh in on gun control, the fiscal cliff, Obamacare, gay marriage, debt, taxes, etc, etc, etc.  But for the reasons I stated in that post, I know that this is something I need to sacrifice.
 
Please understand that I’m not saying that politics is a bad thing in and of itself.  I have simply recognized that Christ had higher priorities and so I should too.  People don’t get saved by policies instituted by men; they get saved by God’s people (His Body) demonstrating His love and following His will.
 
Step two of this process of becoming a living sacrifice will be to take up my cross and follow Christ (see Luke 9:23).  What that means is that as I slowly sacrifice politics, I replace that way of thinking with God’s mentality.  Instead of seeing issues, I’m beginning to see people.  Instead of seeing hope in policies instituted by men, I'm choosing to see hope in the power of God.
 
So, that’s where I’m at right now.  As I mentioned, we all face different challenges.  What is God calling you to sacrifice?
 
“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.  ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” – Isaiah 55:8-9