Dying to Self

This week we are exploring what it truly means to die to oneself and live a life of humility. Take a moment to reflect and begin with a simple prayer.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the blessings in my life. Help me remember to always thank You in my prayers. Help me stop sinful behaviors and be a true disciple. Teach me how to show humility to Your other children and serve them selflessly, without conceit or pride. Thank You for modeling this mindset, so I can apply the truth of Your words to my life.

Philippians 2:3-8 (NLT)
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God,
      
      he did not think of equality with God
      
      as something to cling to.

7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
      
     he took the humble position of a slave
      
     and was born as a human being.
  
8 When he appeared in human form,

     he humbled himself in obedience to God
      
     and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Take a moment and ask yourself: Do I exhibit humility, or am I prideful?

A true Christian will follow Jesus’ teachings and obey them. During His earthly ministry, Jesus chose to put others first, and demonstrated His love for others by serving them. He became a lowly servant and washed the feet of others. He did the job no one else wanted to do. He valued others above Himself, even though it led to His death. Are there examples of humility that have inspired you?

Pride leads to selfish ambition, and selfish ambition is the opposite of humility. Jesus calls us to empty ourselves of our selfish desires and instead, to humbly serve others. He demonstrated perfectly how having this mindset will lead us to serve others. It will lead us into service for His kingdom.

How can you show humility like Jesus? Take some time to reflect on what changes you might need to make to go through life with a humble mindset.

Jesus humbly submitted to God’s plan. The eternal Son of God left heaven, gave up His heavenly rights as God without giving up His God nature, and took the lowest position by suffering and dying for our sins. He valued us over Himself, and served us all the way to the cross. What is the importance of this to you, and how can you demonstrate this to others?

What comes to mind when you read this phrase? “Be humble or stumble.”

Have you been thinking of a specific behavior you may need to change? Ask God for guidance. He promises to be with you always.

As we close today, spend some time talking to God about humility and a having a mindset of service to others.

Here is a prayer prompt to get you started:

Ask God to show you what changes you need to make in order to model these behaviors, as Jesus did.

For further edification, refer to the following Scriptures: Acts 20:19 and Colossians 3:12.