When you are purposely set aside, rejected, forgotten, and hurt with the insult of oversight — but your spirit sings because you are being counted worthy to suffer for Christ, that is “Dying to Self.” When your advice is disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and all manner of evil is spoken against you, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all with patient, loving silence, that is “dying to self.” When you do not allow any disorder, irregularity or arrogance to come against your peace, when you are face to face with filth, waste, stupidity or spiritual pride, and endure it as Jesus endured it, that is “dying to self.” When you are content with the location you live, the climate, the society, the solitude of the “backside of the desert,” and are willing to have your plans changed or interrupted by the will of God at any moment, that is “dying to self.” When you never care to have others know of your good works, and never refer to yourself in conversation, or even care to have anyone commend you, when you truly love to be the unknown, that is “dying to self.” When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in the Spirit, and feel no envy, nor question God as to why your own needs are not being met, that is “dying to self.” When you can receive correction and reproof, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up in your heart, that is “dying to self.”
Are you “dead to self?” At this hour, the Holy Spirit would bring us to the cross. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:11).
Dying to the flesh means making choices, dying to our ways and living to the Lord’s ways. The power of man’s will can either make him an overcomer or send him to hell. If we set our will with the will of God, we can become that overcomer. We are promised many blessings as we follow the Lord, and on the other side of the coin there are curses for going our own way. We must choose. Isaiah 1:19-20 says, If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The Lord wants to heal us, bless us and make us whole. The choice is ours. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (II Chronicles 7:14).
God is always looking for a willing mind and a perfect heart. He wants to use those who qualify, even as He used the great men and women of the Bible. We must choose and obey, even as Solomon did when he built the temple.
And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it (I Chronicles 28:9-10).
Healing of the spirit, soul and body always begins with the choice to follow Jesus and the subsequent choices to continue to walk with Him. To receive complete wholeness, we must make a complete commitment, even as our Lord spoke the greatest commandment of God.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40).
Excerpt from the book Healing, Spirit, Soul and Body by Betty Miller
