Chapter 4-
Discipleship and the Cross (continued)
Bonhoeffer- '
"...and take up his cross." Jesus has graciously prepared the way for
this word by speaking first of self-denial. Only when we have become completely
oblivious of self are we ready to bear the cross for his sake. If in the end we
know only him, if we have ceased to notice the pain of our own cross, we are
indeed looking only unto him. If Jesus
had not so graciously prepared us for this word, we should have found it
unbearable. But by preparing us for it he has enabled us to receive even a word
as hard as this as a word of grace. It comes to us in the joy of discipleship
and confirms us in it."
My thoughts- 'If we
have ceased to notice the pain of our own cross, we are indeed looking only
unto him.'
Seriously, we have
been brainwashed by Satan to constantly think of ourselves.
Is it impossible to
not think of ourselves? I think it might
seem that way. Just like keeping the
commandments, just like accepting Christ daily, just like asking for forgiveness
these are things that have to be consciously, ACTIVELY, decided! Maybe it seems counter intuitive to
consciously be aware of NOT being aware of self, but truthfully how do you stop
something you aren't aware of? You have
to be aware of what you want to change, or it can't be changed, right?
I think we get so
caught up in WANTING to be this perfect person that we can get extremely
discouraged because we are so far from being perfect. We think we ought to be
one way, but actually are another and when they collide we are led towards
despairing- where Satan wants us- without hope.
Every single eye
opening mistake we make is an opportunity for us- it allows us to make a
choice. We can seek forgiveness for our
mistakes, or not seek forgiveness and wallow in selfish despair. We can recognize that the Holy Spirit is
opening our eyes to our faults, that we are being tried in FIRE so that we can
BE perfected by God. Being shown our selfishness, being shown our lack of
self-denial is a chance to seek self-denial.
We must make CHOICES
to lose self and replace self with CHRIST.
To think it'll come natural to us who have indulged self for so very
long, is to deceive ourselves. We need
to make CHOICES for Christ constantly.
If we do NOT make these constant choices then we are setting ourselves
up to fail.
Bonhoeffer- 'If we have ceased to notice the
pain of our own cross, we are indeed looking only unto him.'
Don't DESPAIR if you
haven't ceased to notice the pain of your cross bearing, Satan wants us to
DESPAIR! Praise God for opening your
eyes to recognize the pain of selfishness, the pain of self awareness, rather
than self-denial.
Strange to hear the
words- 'pain of self awareness'.
We are SO deluged by
self awareness paraphernalia, it's everywhere!
Satan wants to encourage our self awareness but in such a way it points
us to INDULGE in our selfishness, rather than denying ourselves and taking up
our crosses. Self awareness teachings
today want us to be aware of our needs, our wants, our actions and make them
all a positive thing in us, only serving to increase our SELF and in that, our
selfishness. But NOT a single self
awareness author would most likely dare to admit to such a thing. DECEPTION. Satan would have us deceived!
There will be NO advertising deception, it negates the deception.
There is a PAIN of
self awareness, a pain of our pitying ourselves for the crosses we bear. We
look at our PAIN- mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and then we feel as if
it's too much, it's too hard, and there it is…. We are focused on SELF, not Christ,
not His cross!
Lord, please HELP US
to grow less aware of self and more aware of YOU and only YOU!
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