“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” Galatians 2:20

Beloved brethren,

Irrespective of age, almost everyone hates death. Yet, in the spiritual realm, dying especially to self and to the world is not just important but appears to be a key requirement to fruit bearing. In fact, unless the seed dies, there is no way it can bear fruit.

Dying to self is the condition of someone whose emotions, desires, beliefs and thoughts don’t stand across him/her and the Lord. Such a fellow will make no case of self so long as God wants him/her to do something. No matter his/her education level, social rank, how loaded materially, financially that person is or could be, his/her answer to any request originating from God will be “Yes, Lord”.

Why do you think God had to first make Adam fall into a sound and deep sleep before bringing Eve out of him? Simply because it is from that state of total surrender closest to death where all urge for resistance is brought to nought that God’s most creative power finds total expression in man. It is in that moment that the craftiness of the potter artistically molds the clay to bring the best out of it.

Check the lives of those who experienced the perfect hand of God in their lives and you will unfailingly notice that there was a class of total surrender they took, an exam of death to self and to the world they successfully passed before the Almighty finding them worthy to be entrusted with anything/everything valuable we celebrate in their lives. These are the kind of people that would easily and consistently say: “He must increase but I must decrease” (John 3:30)

Look at Abraham! God had to test him throughout and when he found out that he would withhold nothing and was ready to sacrifice all even to lay down the life of his only son, God swore by himself that he would bless him. Jesus himself, son of God, gave up his glorious life, came on earth, suffered till death. As a result, God exalted him and made him to route to salvation (Philippians 2:9-11)

Beloved, during your journey on this boisterous sea we call life, sailing by yourself is the best way of getting drowned. Surrender your will and your life to God by dying to yourself and watch how his mighty hand would take you safely to the more than enough realm.