What is the key?

The key to a wonderful life might surprise you. It is a mystery. What is it?

• It is not all about me, nor how God will make my life better or take it to the next level.
• It is about relinquishing, dying, repentance, and the cross.

Luke 9:23 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.”

That sounds harsh. Deny my self? Take up my cross? Daily? Surely that is for only a very few really devout people, right?

If so, then the abundant life is for only a very few people.

Jesus said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:24

The surprising side of Christianity –

It may sound negative, but the surprise is, it is the best life. Why? Because you know that whatever happens, you belong to God. Your life is hidden in Christ in God. You have reached the peak of existence. Christ is in you and God the Father is in Jesus Christ. John 17: 20-23 Monday mornings can be faced with confidence. Confidence in Jesus Christ.

This level of Christianity requires your death. Not a physical death, but a death to your natural self. To independently living apart from God. But, the life that replaces your old self is so much better. 

We have such a limited knowledge that we think our life as we understand it or we wish it to be is the best there is. We can’t imagine giving up our life as a good thing. But, it is. It is the most freeing experience ever!

Take up your cross…daily, and follow Jesus. Deny yourself…daily, and accept whatever God has for you.

Your life will be filled with peace beyond understanding, a joy that won’t quit, love enough for even the most unlovable, patience that is not natural, gentleness, humility, faith that gets stronger every day, kindness that wasn’t there before, temperance in all things.

Most surprising of all is that you will really enjoy life!

Dear Savior, open our eyes to see this great mystery – the mystery of dying to self that we might gain a new, wonderful life.

Words to light your path –

Philippians 3:7-11. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.