A Call To Die

I and the two guys that I meet with each week for accountability have recently completed the "Love Dare". If you are married, could I suggest picking up that book today. I guarantee you that God will use that tool to help shape and refine your view of your role as a husband or wife as well bring a deeper level of intimacy into your marriage. There probably will not be anything in the 40 day "Love Dare" challenge that will be new for a married person, but it is the powerful day to day reminder of what God wants for our marriages that makes this little tool so effective. It is a small investment in time that can breath new life into your marriage.

Well, since we have completed that and as we strive to not allow the "Love Dare" to be just a 40 day challenge that you do and put away, but a practice to implement every day in our marriages, we decided we would go through "A Call to Die". This is another 40 day challenge to do exactly what the title says "die". Not literally die, but to die to ourselves, to die to our pride, our sin, our lust, our selfishness and anything else that is trying to rob and kill the life that God longs to give us through Jesus Christ. I am in my first week of the challenge and it has been awesome. I am being reacquainted with Jesus' words that "those who lose their lives for His sake will find true life..." I am being reminded that the motive to dying to myself daily must be to glorify God! The study thus far has been a powerful reminder of the fact that I must kill this flesh daily and I must deal ruthlessly with my sin, because my sin does not deal gently with me.

The Scripture verse that the study had me memorize this week is John 3:16, yeah that is what I thought...come on, challenge me here. John 3:16 like that is the Christian gold standard. I bet some Christians memorize that verse as if it is a part of the membership into this Christian society or something, but once again in my ignorance, God gripped me and showed me the power of this TRUTH.

For God so loved the world (the world, that includes me) that He gave His one and only Son, (God didn't give a second rate gift, He gave His best, He showed in this act that He does not hold or hoard from me) that whoever believes in Him shall not perish (God did not leave me in my state of depravity, but instead He sent a remedy and built a bridge) but have eternal life. (God has given me life eternal, abundant life, real life, joy that can not be quenched, a life that is now worth living)

God did all this for me, not because I was worthy, but because He is merciful, good and gracious and if I am truly appreciative of this unbelievable act of love, then my only response would have to be to die to myself and live for Him. Now that sounds easy enough, but the reality is that it is not, but we have a God who is faithful and who offers His grace to us daily. Have a great day and may you answer God's call to die today! God Bless!