A call to come and die

There is no possible way that I could die to myself with any amount of regularity if it wasn't for the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. We are involved in a couple of situations (one a bit more private than the other) where God is serving, on a silver platter, an unprecedented opportunity for some fellow believers to die to themselves. I know that when I talk about dying to myself it often is in the context of not sitting down when there are other things to do or not spending $300 on a used snowblower when there are other things we need to invest in as a family...those are the normal things and they are presented to me every day.

Every once and a while, though, God brings a situation into my life that shakes me; staggers me at times. And, along with the situation (usually it is some type of conflict) He offers me an invitation to a deeper more profound relationship with Him that can only be accepted by dying to myself. To my shame I have often rejected His invitations. Yet, when I have accepted them, well, there are no words to describe the result as I have become even more set apart for Him to build His Kingdom and have fallen even more deeply in love with Him.

I want that for the people that are involved in these situations as well. And it is hard to see them messing it up because I know what has happened in my life when I tossed the invitation, the call, to die. I pray that the Spirit wakes them up and that they grab a hold of it. No matter how much it chafes or burns - if they would simply grab a hold and hang on He will show Himself to them in ways that will blow their minds. Much like He has done for me.