The NIV 365 Day Devotional
Dying to Self
A woman came back from a Christian retreat, and a friend asked what it was like. She answered, “I died!”
“What do you mean?” her friend responded.
“This weekend I discovered that I had spent my whole life hiding,” she said. “I had never been honest with anyone — my family, my friends, myself, or God. The worst part was, I wasn’t even in touch with my own dishonesty and distortions. This past weekend all my lies died; my old hiding places collapsed. I am so glad I went through this death experience to become the new person that God is creating. Now I know what it means to be ‘born again.’”
As strange as this sounds to some, this “death experience” is exactly what happens when we surrender our lives to God. It is death to our old wills and lives as we turn them over to God. An ancient saint said, “God has to hollow us out before he can fill us up with life and love.” All our old debris of self-centeredness, self-pity and self-control has to die.
As the apostle Paul wrote: “We were therefore buried with Christ through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead . . . we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). What could be more hopeful than the promise of new life?
PRAYER:
Christ, I give myself to you. Take me as I die to my old selfish ways and live in you and your love.
Taken from the NIV Recovery Devotional Bible.