Daily Devotional
Word of the Day
Practice Self-Denial
Pastor Scott
Sunday, March 13, 2005
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"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."
(Philippians 3:7)
Back in the day, I was a good preacher. I stopped doing that because it was a form of competition of how good of a preacher I could be and how good of a message I could preach. As I saw it in myself, I've put it in a phrase: "Stop preaching and teaching messages and teach people." Make sure that when they leave it's not how great of a message it was, but that God spoke to them. The ministry grew and I had a chance to go nation-wide and world-wide. We could have been famous and wealthy. We chose not to. It was the grace and mercy of God. It was admirable and the right thing to do. It was God, but I was still in it! I was in the choice to proudly become humble. I chose not to be competitive in ministry anymore, but I became competitive in showing cars and won everything that we went to. I said, "Lord, is it ever going to end"? And He said, "No, that's who you are, and you are a real mess." But can we somehow take who you are and use you for the glory of God? Through all of this I can say there is much less of self and more for the glory of God. It's getting better every day, and I thank God for it and I give Him the glory.
The reason I can see more of myself is because I want to see more of myself. I want to be free. I really do want to give glory to God fully. Where is your treasure today? You have to locate it, because you can't lose it till you find out what it is. Most of us won't put our finger on it because we know what it's going to cost, so we say it's something else.
"You know, what I really battle with is...," and that's not it. You know what it is. Are you ready to see it die? Are you ready to offer it up to God? We can put it off on natural traits, circumstances, social pressures, or the vexation of the world system; and self-will is all it is. You have to change your value system. Jesus has to become the Pearl of great price and everything liquidated to obtain this life. Without that life there is no contentment and satisfaction. Nothing in this world will satisfy you.
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." (Phil. 3:7). It is not enough to count it loss; it has to be counted loss for Christ. I am not only doing this for Jesus but to become like Jesus. I am not giving this to Jesus; He doesn't need anything, you do. I count it loss for Christ that I might gain Christlikeness. So whenever you abstain from anything, it can't just be asceticism or doing without. Whatever I'm doing without has to make me more like Jesus. Fasting isn't just doing without food; fasting is bringing about discipline, bringing the natural man, self-will and self-ease under. Everything is lawful, but it is not all expedient or necessary. Don't wait for crisis to practice self-denial. Make it an easy thing to do. Make it a habit to deny yourself over the small things to other people. What value system do you put on your desires and your preferences in comparison to others? Why don't we grow up into Jesus and learn that it is better to give than to receive? It has to become a part of your life. You think that when it becomes a crucial time then you will be able to do it. No, you won't. It has to become a life process.