“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: And whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: Whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul. It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: But every fool will be meddling. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; Therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; But a man of understanding will draw it out. Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: But a faithful man who can find?”
Proverbs 20:1-6 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.20.1-6.KJV
Dying to Live
Dying to ourselves can feel like a bad thing. Most people want to exalt, applaud, and promote themselves.
But in God’s kingdom, dying to ourselves is essential.
“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 his life for me.”
Galatians 2:20 NIV
A lump of clay cannot become a work of art unless it is shaped into something else. A container of paint cannot be used for a masterpiece unless it is first poured out. A carbon deposit must change in order to become a diamond. A caterpillar must give up its old way of life in order to become a magnificent butterfly.
The invitation to die is actually an invitation to live.
When we give our lives to God, we’re choosing to surrender our plans, our desires, and our gifts. And that can be hard. But we also know there is something better—and Someone better—on the other side.
God can realign our plans, reshape ...