Dying to Self only to Live

When I was a kid, I was what you would call, political. Perhaps that is the wrong word for it. But pretty much I would use my blue eyes, chubby cheeks, and shy charm in an attempt to get what I wanted. I remember a woman looking at me one time and saying, "You're going to be president someday."  I always took it as a compliment and continued on in life.

But the weird thing is that I've always felt like I was meant for something bigger than myself. I always thought that I was going to be big one day. I have that feeling right now actually. It's weird. Perhaps you have felt the feeling as well. Maybe you have felt the feeling that you were meant for more than whatever it is that you are doing. Maybe you feel it right now.

 Last spring I picked up a devotional book that was about "dying to self".  That phrase is used regularly in Christian circles. When I first learned it, it was about being disciplined and not indulging in things that weren't Godly. It was like a chore.When I thought of "dying to self" I felt it was like keeping my room clean or washing the dishes. It was a task I had to do in order to be holy.

Fast forward to last year. I attended a conference called DC/LA with a number of students. There they taught that God created for a specific purpose. In their words, "The way God created me, is the greatest way to live". In other words, God created me to do something. Maybe it's something big. Maybe it's not. But when I live my life doing what God created me to do, I will live life to it's fullest.

If God created me to impact the life of 1000 kids and I do that, I will have lived life to it's fullest. On the other end, if God created me to impact just 1 life and I do that, I will have lived life to it's fullest.

There is a line in a song by John Reuben. It says: "It's just not that simple, I'm not trying to save it all,  I just want to create a ripple. And even if one individual is affected, it's monumental with an unusual perspective that is beautiful in essence. Traditional thinking won't suggest this. Is life that precious? Well Yes it is."

I guess the point of this post is this: When we are "dying to self", we are putting away our desires and dreams and looking to God for what He created us for. When we do that, then we truly can start to live.

Jon