It's Not About Me

Jesus says in Luke chapter 9, that in order to be a disciple, or Christ-follower, we must "deny our self". If we take a minute and really let that sink in, I think we would have to admit, that we don't "deny our self" too often. For many Christians, life is all about them. It's all about "how I feel", "what I think", and "what makes me happy." Jesus says that for a Christ-follower though, our mentality must be different. It must be about Christ and others! We must "deny our self." Life is not all about me, it's all about serving Christ by serving others.

In the last year, I have read and listened to dozens of speakers teach on marriage. You know what I hate about all of them? They all point to me, and tell me that the problems in my marriage are my fault! They point out how my selfishness is the cause of most of the disagreements. Jesus gives husbands and wives this advice in Ephesians 5, "submit yourselves one to another." In other words, give up your "rights" to the other. Stop looking at how your spouse needs to change, and look at how you need to change. He also uses the phrase that we are to "prefer one another." I wonder how many fights would be avoided in every relationship in our lives if we would obey that. "Preferring another" means to put someone else above us. It means to think how I can help someone else instead of myself. I challenge you right now to look at the conflicts in your life and see how many are a result of your selfishness. I think we all need to repent, and ask that God would begin to help us change, to start "denying our self", and to prefer one another.