“Pain is only felt where there is life, and where there is life is just the place where death is needed.” Very insightful point! This can be a caution sign to things I have not died to. So if I find myself reacting to someone, perhaps I have not died to my own desires to respond as I please (even when my way seems to be the most sensible!). After all, a dead person doesn’t worry about how others treat him, nor does he have expectations of others!

Truly it is hard to die to self – to give up my own desires and expectations. But oh how I want the rich, abundantly fruitful life that God has for those who are willing to sleep in His will! God’s will is certainly what we would choose if we knew all the facts!

Looking back, I can remember a time when God brought a Godly young woman into my life that was a great spiritual encouragement to me – someone who I could share my burdens with and look up to for counsel. It was very painful to me when she moved away from very close to us and then began making decisions that were contrary to her Godly parents’ wishes. I see now that God wanted me to die to this friendship. I was looking to her more than to God, and He graciously took her away to place my love back on Him. After that incident, I gave all the friends I had to God. What a fulfilling blessing it has been to focus on making disciples and giving encouragement vs. getting friends to encourage me. And God knows best who to send to encourage us when needed – without us “helping” Him “find” those people! God showed me (at a Journey To The Heart ) the true joys of fellowship with Him when He is my greatest love!

Brittany, thank you for being a vessel of God’s blessing to us!

There is so much truth in this verse, and I can testify to that. It reminded me of the command of Christ to deny yourself, and the verse from Luke 9:24 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.” When I look back, I can see how when I tried to save my life (as I thought best!) by holding on to my plans and affections and desires, I was losing it. But when I let go, “lost” my life, and died to it, I “found” it and gained more of Christ. Yes, it was hard and not at all easy. But oh what joy and fulfillment it brought! As the letter from Francois Fenelon stated, this “death” is really a blessing in disguise. The blessings that have come from dying to self are just incredible! Dying to self continues to be an ongoing process for me. “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” II Corinthians 4:10