LESS AND LESS OF ME

I want to share something I’ve done that’s made a difference in my life. Every day, I talk with God and say out loud, “Lord, I die to myself.  I empty myself out of me. I die to my opinions and my rights. I die to who I am so that I can be who You are.”

I have claimed John 3:30, “He must become greater and greater and I must become less and less.”

I confess that I fail all the time. I’m constantly doing selfish things and thinking selfish thoughts. I still catch myself spouting my opinions and demanding my rights. But do you know what I found in the past several years of praying this to the Lord every morning? I’ve found that I’m doing these things less and less.

This process of becoming like Christ isn’t a one-and-done event. It’s daily. It’s falling and getting back up. It’s saying, “Lord, I’m so sorry. I don’t like what I just did. I am grieved by what came out of my mouth. I don’t want to do that again. I desperately want there to be less and less of me and more and more of You.”

I’m not perfect. Not even close. But I’m changing. There are some days I don’t even recognize myself. I’m becoming more like Christ. Little by little and day by day, I’m realizing that the way to life is truly through death. The way to wholeness is through brokenness. The way to victory is through surrender.

It’s taken me many years, but I’m through trying to be me. I’m finished trying to get my way and prove my point.  I don’t even care anymore about what I’m all about. I only want to be all about Jesus. And I stand amazed at how happy that makes me.

The mantra of the world today is to be true to yourself. I want to challenge you to try a different way. I want to challenge you to die to yourself. Memorize John 3:30. “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” No matter what the world may say, happiness is found in total surrender, not in self-actualization.