Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Cost of Discipleship Pt 31 Cease to notice the pain of our own cross


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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