Matthew 16:24 - Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (NIV)
1 Corinthians 15:31 - I assure you, believers, by the pride which I have in you in [your union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily [I face death and die to self]. (AMP)
We are just about three quarters of the way through Lent. Despite being a Christian for more than 30 years, this is the first time I have intentionally tried to observe Lent. I come from a tradition of Christianity that doesn’t specifically practice it, so quite frankly, I have never fully seen or engaged in its significance. However, last year one of the books recommended by a friend on my podcast, ‘Have You Ever Read….?’ was Alicia Britt Chole’s 40 Days of Decrease, a fantastic book about the power of fasting and prayer through Lent, full of historical context and anecdotes.
After reading it, I decided I would give Lent a go this year. I started small and decided to give up chocolate and Nando’s sauce (don’t judge me!). Interestingly, during this special period of prayer and fasting, as we remember the sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross, I believe the Holy Spirit has been prompting me about the discipline of dying to self on a daily basis.
Paradoxically, despite death being a negative thing, it is through our daily commitment to taking up our crosses and dying to our flesh, sin and the world that we become more like Christ. The older, I get the more I find this spiritual death, becomes unattractive but at the same time necessary. In Christian circles, submission, obedience and death are often spoken of in a causal, nonchalant way. But they are actually very hard. There is a cost to discipleship and following Christ. Thankfully, not only did the Lord set an example for us to follow but he also left us the Holy Spirit to comfort, guide and strengthen us as we take up our crosses in pursuit of him.
In the Global Church, it seems that we as a collective are going through a period of cleansing, I believe, in preparation for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and revival. But this has uncovered moral failings, disappointment, various types of abuse, worldliness, and simply put, bad leadership. As I reflect on my own personal learnings from this season, rather than be quick to judge others, I am praying for the Holy Spirit to help me, first understand and accept the cost I have to pay to follow Christ. Once I have accepted this, I need to identify the areas in my life where I have not been able to and (in some cases) refuse to pay this price. This level of honesty is difficult, but I think it will help me avoid the pitfalls others have fallen into. It is only then, that I can receive the help I need from the Holy Spirit to aid me on my own journey to the cross.
Questions for reflection: Do I recognise that there is a cost to discipleship? Have I identified the areas in my life where I have decided to ignore the call to die? Have I asked the Holy Spirit for help as seek to die daily?
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