I used to make decisions based on what I felt was best for ME. Self, self, self. This is the foundation of our modern day American culture, isn’t it? What will bring me pleasure, joy, happiness, contentment, what I need, what I want, what makes me feel good, what makes me look good, what will fulfill my dreams, what will line up with my agenda. It’s all about my wishes, ways, and wants, isn’t it? Can you relate to this?
I praise the Lord He got a hold of me, led me to repentance, and has been teaching me day by day how to live the right way. His way. For the Lord. God’s greatest commands are NOT about self-love. We are to love HIM with all our hearts and to love EACH OTHER! God tells us we are to NO LONGER LIVE FOR SELF. We are to DENY self. Take up our crosses. And follow Jesus. Jesus, our Lord and Savior and perfect role model, in His time on this earth did NOT live for self. He lived for God the Father and for others.
The right way to make decisions is to pray to God, read the Bible, seek the Lord’s will, make sure what we believe we hear lines up with the Bible because God only speaks in line with His Word, and humbly obey Him. No matter the price our flesh has to pay. No matter what our flesh has to give up. No matter what – and whom – our flesh needs to leave behind.
In my experience, there is absolutely no greater joy, fulfillment, satisfaction, contentment, reward, privilege, and blessing than to have a personal forever intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, to love and serve Him with all our hearts, to love and serve others in His name, to seek and fulfill God’s will for our lives, to live according to God’s ways not the world’s ways, and to live to love, praise, honor, worship, obey, serve, and glorify God forever and ever, AMEN!
Is it easy to say NO to self and to give up our wishes, wants, and ways when they do not please God? Absolutely not! But the pain of giving it all up for Jesus is NOTHING when compared with the reward of experiencing and enjoying God’s fellowship forevermore! Amen! Hallelujah! Amen!
“and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15 NKJV
“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 NKJV
“Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”” Mark 12:29-31 NKJV