Now, at the age of 65, I am happy to learn that the "small" work of dying to myself will bring with it rich reward, even in this present time.
I want you, our readers and friends, to WANT to practice dying to yourself. It will bring happiness and fulfillment to you! (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
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A Time of Reset
Many people have been in this place of feeling stuck and confined, which makes perfect sense in the times we live in because we are, in many ways, restricted in a small space. So the feeling of being stuck in life, like there is no wiggle room, is partly because of the confinement we are experiencing.
I am sure many of us have tried fighting this feeling and kicking against the walls for some type of freedom, which is also completely understandable. We went from being wholly free, going about our business, to being told to stay put. It was only a matter of time before the mind would catch up to what is physically happening to us.
We are in a forced rest, meaning we have to slow down to what seems to be the speed of a snail; but there is hope in this. Eliminating a vast majority of our busyness brings a healthiness to our minds and bodies, especially our souls. God is way more concerned with the quality of our souls and hearts than He is with the busyness that we may call "ministry," "good works," or even everyday life.
Works of the Ministry vs Ministering to Jesus
Jesus died on the Cross not so that we could be busy, but so that we could be with Him. In many ways, we have substituted ministering to the Lord with ministry works. It's easy to get caught up in the inertia of doing good things, but we must remember that our most significant purpose and calling is to be with Jesus.
"A woman came into the house, holding an alabaster flask filled with fragrant and expensive oil. She walked right up to Jesus, and...poured out the costly oil... When the disciples saw this, they were offended. 'What a total waste!' they grumbled... Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, 'Why are you critical of this woman? She has done a beautiful act of kindness for Me. You will always have someone poor whom you can help, but you will not always have Me.'" (Matthew 26:6-8, 10-11) (Photo via Piqsels)
In Matthew 26, we see the disciples being more concerned about the ministry, per se, versus the ministry to Jesus. We often act the same way. We get caught up in doing the works of ministry, but we sometimes miss the moment of being with the Lord. The work is never-ending. Something always needs to be done, someone will always need prayer or a word, but we now have an opportunity to lead by example and be with the Lord.
The Season of Metamorphosis
We are in a season where there is a metamorphosis taking place within the Body of Christ as a whole, and within the individuals that make up the Body of Christ. Also, this is a season for us to be listening closely to what the Lord is speaking.
Imagine the transformation that took place when Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and tempted there. You could say that He was in a similar place as we are today. Jesus was placed into a position of forced dependency on the Spirit of God, while satan was in His face tempting Him with all of these different things. I am sure Jesus would've loved to turn the stones to a loaf of bread, or two; I'm sure He would've loved to not be out in the wilderness; but He denied what the flesh wanted and chose the path of the Spirit, which led to the transformation. This process, or spiritual "quarantine," if you would, was where the metamorphosis of learning to walk in the power of the Spirit took place.
"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness... Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through the whole countryside." (Luke 4:1, 14)
We are entering into the wilderness, whether we like it or not, but the wilderness serves a purpose.
The way that the Lord has shown me this process makes me full of hope for this coming season. Yes, it will involve some dying. Dying to our own will and dying to selfish desires will release the power of the Spirit of God that dwells within the inside of us.
"Now Christ lives His life in you! And even though your body may be dead because of the effects of sin, His life-giving Spirit imparts life to you because you are fully accepted by God. Yes, God raised Jesus to life! And since God's Spirit of Resurrection lives in you, He will also raise your dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into you!" (Romans 8:10-11) (Photo via Pixabay)
The Lord's imagery to describe this process is similar to a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. We are in the cocoon phase of this metamorphosis, but soon, we will emerge from the cocoon in beauty and elegance. We will soar and we will fly as we always were intended to. It's the metamorphosis from being a servant to becoming the sons and daughters of God.
The mature children of God are those who are moved by the impulses of the Holy Spirit. You did not receive the "spirit of religious duty," leading you back into the fear of never being good enough, but you have received the "Spirit of full acceptance," enfolding you into the family of God. And you will never feel orphaned, for as He rises up within us, our spirits join Him in saying the words of tender affection, "Beloved Father!" For the Holy Spirit makes God's Fatherhood real to us as He whispers into our innermost being, "You are God's beloved child!"
We Are Heirs of God the Father
Since we are His real children, we qualify to share all His treasures, for indeed, we are heirs of God Himself. And since we are joined to Christ, we also inherit all that He is and all that He has. We will experience being co-glorified with Him, provided that we accept His sufferings as our own.
"I am convinced that any suffering we endure is less than nothing compared to the magnitude of glory that is about to be unveiled within us. The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God's glorious sons and daughters! For against its will, the universe itself has had to endure the empty futility resulting from the consequences of human sin. But now, with eager expectation, all creation longs for freedom from its slavery to decay and to experience with us the wonderful freedom coming to God's children." (Romans 8:18-21)
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Westley Roderick
LoveSpeaks Ministries
Email: westley@lovespeaks.info
Website: www.lovespeaks.info
Westley Roderick is the founder of LoveSpeaks Ministries in Shreveport, LA. At the age of 19, while on a search for spiritual discovery, Westley foretold his own coming to Christ, which led to unconventional salvation. Shortly following, he had an experience where Jesus appeared to him and commissioned Westley into ministry. Through multiple encounters with Jesus and His manifested love, Westley was ruined in the very best way possible and now spends his life speaking of God's heart for humanity. Westley's ministry brings an awakening to the heart, with a revelation of a tangible and real, loving God, and the hope humanity has through Jesus' sacrifice. For nearly two decades, Westley has had a role in pastoring, training, and equipping people for ministry. His heart is to point to the pathway of sonship.
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When I was much younger, I was taught WAY TOO MUCH about how we must "die to self," and then that became a total work of the flesh.
