Curvy Mountain Trails

Dying to self. It’s not a term you’ll hear a lot in most churches. The lack of the term, or even worse, the lack of practicing dying to self has left our churches full of baby Christians who fuss and fight, who give their pastors ulcers and leave a bad taste in the mouths of the lost seeking for peace and harmony in their lives. But, thankfully, at my church, it’s a term my pastor and other church leaders have taught and used several times and my soul so happy for it. Or at least I thought it was!!! Let me explain.

Dying to self: the act of refusing to follow after a fleshly desire (the old man's sinful nature) and following after God's will instead, to deny self. It comes from Matthew 16:24 where Jesus says, "If anyone will come after me, let him deny himelf and take up his cross and follow me."

During a recent Wednesday night service, when my pastor brought up the act of "dying to self" once again, the Lord decided it was time for a quick test for Christy. He worked it, kneaded it, beat it out, fluffed it up in my life tenfold! The day following that particular midweek service, the Lord brought me this song. I thought the song had been brought to my attention to really drive the message home. I had no idea that it was to become my anthem for the next week!

Once and For All

By Lauren Daigle

God I give You all I can today These scattered ashes that are hid away I lay them all at Your feet From the corners of my deepest shame The empty places where I've worn Your name Show me the love I say I believe O Help me to lay it down Oh, Lord I'll lay it down O let this be where I die My Lord with thee crucified Be lifted high as my kingdom fall Once and for all, once and for all

The ENTIRE NEXT WEEK was a test in dying to self! The details are still too tender and blurred together to share, and sadly, I must confess, I failed most of them miserably. I was so warn out and tired from the trials of last week, I was physically ill. By Friday He brought me sweet relief as only He can, but I was still in utter confusion. I felt like I had just witnessed a nuclear bomb going off before my very eyes, and I was still shell shocked.

That was almost two weeks ago, but it's only been within the last few hours, as I was listening to my anthem, once again, and reflecting on all the events of the past week, *as I mopped floors, that I've really been able to see the bigger picture. I had been looking at the back side of the tapestry in complete confusion, thinking, “Well, this is just a mess!"

*Do you ever have a big epiphany while you're doing mundane things? I love that Jesus likes to meet with us where ever we're at. It's like when you're washing dishes and your husband comes up behind you and gives you a kiss on the cheek.

Now that the Lord has flipped the tapestry over, I’m able to see that it was not just a mass of confusion. No, now I see that it was a dark, scary... yet beautiful journey that my Good Shepherd took me on. I wasn't able to enjoy the ride until we pulled up to the mountain's peek and He told me to look out over the curvy road that had led us to the top. Only then could I appreciate the dark windy road of trial and testing.

I know many of you are traveling those same dark back roads, with their hair pin curves and treacherous cliffs. I know it's hard to remember or even believe, but that road is leading you up to the mountain top of victory. Some paths take longer, but our Good Shepherd knows exactly which ones each of us need... MUST take, to bring us into a closer, more intimate relationship with Him. I encourage you right now to set your mind on this thought, that no matter what, no matter how dark, no matter how long "I will trust You with this, Lord!" Then lay it down.

PS. If you'd like to hear Once and For All, click the link...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btfz9qKXUIk

#Trials #Deliverance #Victory