SHARE Magazine July 2020

MyDevotion.today Sacrificial Service For the believer, it means literally denying our selfish desires and taking up our cross.

“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.“ Mark 8:34 What does Jesus really mean when He says this? Jesus is telling us that to be His disciples we must perfect mastery over self. The person who can deny themself is master over their own emotions and desires. The person who cannot is out of control. Such a person is easy pickings for the devil and cannot be an effective disciple of Christ.

According to Paul’s outline in Galatians 5, self-control is one of the virtues of anyone who possesses the Holy Spirit. A person who cannot lead himself cannot lead others.

Again Paul begs us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service” Romans 12:1 Our most basic Christian service is that of self-sacrifice which is the same as self-denial. We cannot do what we would naturally want to do, say what we would naturally want to say or even think what we would naturally want to think.

We must, on our cross, crucify our desires to embrace and fulfil the desires of Christ. Mastery over self is the lifestyle of the servant of Christ. Have you attained to this in any measure yet?

Wisdom: The believer has removed self from the centre of their life and replaced it with Christ.

Prayer: Lord, give me the grace /strength to discipline/ to overpower those carnal desires within myself that distract me from you and lead me into sin. Amen Devotion For July 1st 2020

By Homer Slack