photo credit: Andre Bohrer

It was like any ordinary morning. I woke up, had my morning coffee, showered, and got ready for work.

And then my Dad asked “Have you seen the cat?”

A little background story. My Dad and I, for the past six months have housed a mother and her kitten. One of her kittens disappeared and one was left, which quickly became “ours.” It stayed outdoors because my Mom is not a pet fan and for most of my life I have not been a fan of cats. But, like with any pet, I got attached.

While I was drying my hair, my Dad left to see if maybe the cat had wandered off into the neighborhood and when he came back, the next thing he said made my heart sink. “Look, when you go outside, don’t look at the road.”

I knew the inevitable had happened.  He was dead.

As I headed out the door, I saw his lifeless body lying on the gravel and gazing ahead, I saw a part of myself lying there too. When someone says, ”Die to self daily,” what does that mean to you? It didn’t resonate with me until that moment.

My cat in the last seconds of his life didn’t realize what was happening and he didn’t and couldn’t move quick enough to avoid the inevitable. Honestly, neither can we.

Dying to self is not optional for us.  

 Romans 6:8-10

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

It is imperative that we die to self to understand the purpose God has planned for our life. That is not possible if we are still attached to our old nature, our old way of life, and our sinful selves. When I saw my cat lying there in the middle of the road, I saw the part of my life that was still attached, the part of my life that I still haven’t let go.

Galatians 2:20

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Dying to self is the realization that perfect security and peace can only be found in Christ.

Less of self, more of Christ.

There may be things about our old selves we are still attached to, things we are unable to let go of. Regardless of how strong we are in our faith, it doesn’t matter.  When we die to self, we literally die.

God has plans for our life, whether we believe it at times or not.  The irony, is sometimes we don’t realize our purpose until tragedy happens.  My cat died Monday and so did I.   Rest in Peace

When was the last time you “died”?

When is the last time you realized your purpose through death?

Tags: Death, Dying to self, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:8-10

Posted by Julie under Spiritual Growth
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