Articles
Self-Consciousness
SELF-Consciousness “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Lk. 9:23 For the Christian, every day that we live is a challenge to forget self, and to completely immerse our own wills – drown them - in the life of Christ. We all readily acknowledge it, and may even fervently hope and pray for help to walk with Him in righteousness. But self gets in the way, continually, constantly, in a number of ways – maybe in ways we have not thought of. First, of course, we can just pursue selfish desires that are unhealthy for us or for those around us. Many Christians have been destroyed by drugs, alcohol, sexual sins, gambling, desire for what does not belong to us. Second, we may be so devoted to the pursuit of material things that all spiritual influence is crowded out. This type of “self-centeredness” can be even more dangerous than the first, because we may get caught up in it and not recognize it as sinful. If we are given to overwork so we can live a lavish lifestyle, or spend all our time on our favorite hobbies or entertainment, or strive to give our children every material thing they might want, our walk in the Spirit of Christ suffers. Third, we may be so focused on self and self’s problems and trials, that we are simply too preoccupied, too worried, too full of self-pity, to think of work for Christ and his children. We cannot sustain ourselves and we certainly cannot deliver ourselves. So the sooner we get away from our own problems and throw ourselves into trusting Him and obeying Him, the better! Finally, we can even be too much in love with ourselves in the spiritual realm. If our focus is more on “what a good servant of God I am” or “how much I love Jesus”, we can quickly find ourselves in the devil’s trap. Many a servant of God has fallen to spiritual pride – they may love their own “love for Jesus” more than they love Jesus Himself. The true child of God will see beyond self – materially, spiritually and otherwise – and say with Paul “It is not I that live, but Christ lives in me.” Denying SELF – don’t think simply of denying yourself certain indulgences. Think more drastically. How can I put SELF to the back and put the cross on my shoulders? And keep it there! Larry Walker, Aug 2009
- SELF_consciousness.doc (38.40 kB)
