Serving Self, Ends in Fruitless Death
“This world is full of evil, darkness, temptations, satan’s lies and countless lost and enslaved people. It is a waste to engage it. Because it can never ‘rest my soul’.”
Words of a man, but words that ring true. Though it may seem to be great words of some long ago learned scholar, they are words of a 21st century man who seeks to follow his Savior by giving up self to serve our Lord.
“…. we pursue in vain diligence, self. This great error and it’s consequences confirm that at best the self life is a distraction from the sacred trust given to all believers. It provides NO safety from the world and self-mindedness . . . which ends in fruitless death.”
We have but one direction to go, one focus, one desire to give. Giving it to any part of the world or surrendering unto self will indeed do us no good, it will not help but hinder, it is fruitless.
“The master has warned us and desires us to fully lose self, as well as the enjoyments and pursuits offered by the world. He bids us instead, to live totally under His delivering yoke, in service to and teaching from Him. In sanctification and in (the only) safety, in love, faith and trust.”
Philipians 3:18,19
“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”
The verses following add even more to the message.
What is it that this message and the Bible is speaking of?
It is to be all about Christ. He and He alone is who we should be serving and looking to for every moments guidance, not relishing in anything the world has to offer or relying on anything we can give or do for ourselves.
The man who shared with me his thoughts on this subject understands and strives daily not only to be a servant to Christ, a servant for Christ, thereby a servant to those who do not know Christ, but also by being a servant to those who serve Christ.
When was the last time you took it upon yourself after your prayer and daily Bible studies to go and mow your pastors lawn, freeing him up to spend more time with his family or more time spent in prayer and study? When was the last time you mowed the lawn or did some other chore, for a pastor of a church you don’t attend so he could spend time in visitaion with the sick or elderly of his congregation?
When was the last time you went with a faithful servant of Christ to stand on the street corner and pass out tracts to the multitude of lost souls that commute daily in your town? The evil that lurks on every corner is ever present and perhaps that street preacher could use an extra set of eyes to watch or perhaps he could just use your prayers as you stand beside him as he tells others of sin and salvation, the redemption available through Jesus Christ.
1Peter 5:8
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
There is violence and evil in this world and while you sit comfortably by in your recliner chair, feeding your stomach, in your warm house where you have heaped upon yourself the vain glory of all you have, there is someone out there who, perhaps, standing in the wind and rain is sharing the Gospel, while giving up self-mindedness, to witness to those that many would not talk to out of fear for self.
Go with them brother and sister, go with them, give up on the worldliness of now and of self. Exchange it some day for a crown.
“To follow the Word of God in a direction contrary to nature and because of what God has spoken, is the walk of Faith.” Philip Mauro 1912