Dying to Self.

Romans 6: 1-12

What shall we say then? Are we to continue to sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raise from the dead by glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like this, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like this. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives for God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God to Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

Whether we recognize the seriousness of our sin or not, we know that we too have died to sin through our union with Christ. When He conquered the grave, we received new life in Him.

As believers we talk about "dying to self " on a regular basis, but what does this look like in practical day to day living? God is really showing me how selfish I am. Over the past few days I've been spending time praying for the Lord to change my heart, and I am being reminded that it isn't as difficult as we sometimes make it out to be.

Dying to self means exactly that -- dying to self.

Here are some practical ways that God is speaking to me this week in regards to dying to self.

• Dying to self means honoring the Lord in my thoughts, speech, and actions.
• Dying to self means seeing my sin for what it is.
• Dying to self means putting others before myself.
• Dying to self means spending time in the word regardless of how I "feel."
• Dying to self means spending time in prayer regardless of circumstances.
• Dying to self means sometimes just shutting up.
• Dying to self means being patient.
• Dying to self means being quick to listen and slow to speak.
• Dying to self means being able to take correction without becoming defensive.
• Dying to self means intentionally turning away from sin when being tempted.
• Dying to self means choosing to not engage in gossip.
• Dying to self means reaching out to those who are difficult to love.
• Dying to self means serving others.
• Dying to self means living up to God's standards, not the world's.

I am seeing that I spend way too much time talking about and praying for change. If we saw our sin for what it was, I don't think we would be wasting as much time as we are.

Think about that sin in your life that you are so desperately holding onto ... Christ died for that sin so that you no longer have to be enslaved to it.

May we see the seriousness of our sin, regardless of how little or big we may think it is. May the Lord continue to bring conviction over us,

and may we take this idea of "dying to self" and apply it to our lives.

Praise the Lord for His perfect love and grace!

Praying that we would be encouraged to live lives that are set apart for Jesus Christ today.

I love you girls,

Mia J.