Competition Die To Self

The world where we live was full of competition: television competes for ratings, employers compete for promotion, students compete for honors and reward, business people compete for money, politicians compete for position—all of us want to compete with somebody for something that everybody wants but only one of us can have.

We want to be the best, we want to be a star, we want everything for ourselves, for me, for I, for my self. It's all about I.

In the Christian world, when we come to church to listen to the preaching of our pastor and to have fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the church, there we talk about loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. Let the will of God be done; it's not about us but it's all about God, deny ourselves, crucify ourselves, do not follow the dictate of our flesh, love, humility, bless others, bless those who persecute you, pray for others, serve others with the attitude of a servant, forgive others, do sacrifice for others, love your enemy, and the like.

For all of us who claim to be believers of Jesus Christ, we are faced with the challenge of trying to harmonize these two separate worlds: the secular world overflowing with uncontrolled competition and selfish ambition, and the Christian world of loving, caring, and sharing, sacrifice, die to self.

How can we do it? Distinguish first which is the right.

Jesus and His disciples were traveling around Galilee. He was telling them about His death. When they arrived in Capernaum, Jesus asked them what they were discussing along the road, but they kept silent. On the way, they were discussing who was the greatest in the kingdom of God. And Jesus gathered them and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all." And He took a child and put him in the midst of them and said, "Whoever receives this child receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."

This means that we believers of Christ must strive to compete for service, not in power, fame, money—not to compete so much for ourselves, but instead, we compete to be the best helper, best servant, and of course, let us make Jesus as our role model.

Jesus came into this world to portray God's heart, plan, power, and love. His interest was God's interest, and His every step was the fulfillment of God's plan.

 

[Intercessor]

Seven ways I see in the Bible to mortify the flesh are actually obedience to what is already there:

1) "Love God more than anything else" Deut 6:5, Matt 22:37 (What am I most excited about giving my time to, my hobby? My hubby? My horse? My house? My habit? Money?) also quoted in Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27.

2) This translates to me toward prayer -- Men ought at all times to pray (Luke 18), Pray without ceasing, (1 Thes 5:17), How different the prayer life of the early church and during different times of revival -- we don't get together to pray in groups much anymore, even though the condition of the Government is screaming for our prayers, the secret of corporate prayer is prayer in secret--if you want to crucify yourself, a good way to do it is to call a prayer meeting to pray for government leaders [eminent debt crisis Aug 2nd is one topic, church leaders, evangelism, our youth, etc, are others]). The heart of the Sermon on the Mount (the middle of the 6th chapter, middle of the Sermon) is the Lord's Prayer.

3) Love my neighbor as myself Mark 12:31, too many other references, (A reformer puts it this way, "to prefer your neighbor's advantage" -- the person I don't have the warm fuzzies over at church -- actually PRAY FOR that person to be promoted! This translates over into our enemies, blessing and praying for those who persecute us even to be promoted, blessed, and those who spitefully use us to be let off the hook, even as we have been forgiven, see the actual petition in the Lord's prayer where we ask to be forgiven to the degree we forgive others, Matt 6:9-15).

4) Training up our children in the way they should go so later in life they won't depart from it (Prov 22:6). Taking the time to have your own prayer & Bible study, and from that overflow, actually scheduling time for devotions where each child actually has an open Bible before them, pray, read, sing hymns or songs & etc). Only the things that are scheduled are attended, church, school, practices, etc. How much more should we schedule time with God? See also, Deut 6:6-7 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." Teach all the time.

5) Working diligently as unto the Lord (Col 3:23), not grumbling at our bosses or assignments, co-workers, etc. Actually praying for our food, reading our Bible some at lunch and sharing what we learn with anyone interested, etc-- these things, though killing us, bring life to others, God gives the increase.

6) Actually studying to show ourselves approved, as workman that need not be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Matthew Henry appositely comments somewhere to this affect, "the devil will use anything to keep us from study, be it a fly on a windowsill." These seven (7) ideas all come from Bible study. Lincoln said "In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong." Reply to Loyal Colored People of Baltimore upon Presentation of a Bible on September 7, 1864 (CWAL VII:542).

7) The ultimate crucifixion I see is to actually put the weight of Jesus' emphasis on the Great Commission to the level it was intended to be... He told us to "preach the gospel" (which is literally to proclaim the non-negotiable way of forgiveness to a rebel creation - repentance from sin and embracing obedience to the King of Glory who has been raised from the dead and being taught to obey every single thing He has commanded (Matt 28:18-20, see also Mark 16:14-18, Luke 24:44-49, John 20:19-23, and Acts 1:4-8).

**The very reading of these often repeated admonitions by the Bible and hopefully by preachers in and of itself causes us to die. God, I am humbled. You resist the proud, and give grace to the humble. I ask for grace to do these things till Kingdom come, in Jesus' Name, Amen. (2 Thes 3:1-5).