I’ve been thinking about death a lot lately. Ugh, sounds morbid just typing it. Not so much so the end of my life, but dying within my life. Does that make sense? See when I say I’ve been thinking about death a lot lately I mean I’ve been thinking about the quote, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” Going from death to life or life to death while still living. I hear the big, vociferous, motivational speakers exclaiming some version of this while pounding their chest all the time.
I’ve never liked that phrase, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” I mean I get the idea, but it’s a lot of pressure and just never really made sense to me. And the more and more I get to know God, walk with Jesus, and the see the people He uses for good works in this world, that phrase, that mindset “if you’re not growing, you’re dying” make even less sense.
You see, God‘s story is always one of revelation, death, resurrection. This is the formula for real life change. Jesus died for us, and I’m realizing that we need to do the same. We have to die to ourselves to live life to the full for others. So what is that for you?
For me it was and always will be pride, perfection, expectations, and anger. And if what Jesus says is true, that we are to be the light of the world then this is also true—We need to allow God to illuminate areas in our lives that must die, aspects we have to work on to be who God has called us to be, areas in our lives that must grow.
If you’re not dying, you’re not growing.
Romans 5:8 | But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Galatians 2:20 | My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Luke 9:23-25 | Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
Matthew 5:14-16 | “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.