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MY SPIRITUAL NEMESIS

“Then He said to them all, ‘f anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me,’” Luke 9:23. And in 1 Corinthians 15:21 this simple phrase says it all, “I die Daily”. A TV commercial during Olympic coverage lauded the value of international travel with this incentive: “We see ourselves in one another”. Nice idea.  And while I believe in the enriching value of exposure to different languages and cultures, the words: “We see ourselves” as the motivation hit me like a ton of bricks. It is so absolutely true that people are constantly looking for themselves, as if self-discovery is the highest standard of value. When is the last time you passed a mirror without taking a peek at yourself? Just can’t get enough, right? How sad. Actually, self-importance has been my spiritual nemesis for as long as I can remember! Selfishness is bondage, dying to self is freedom. Denying the self-centered life is a necessary component of the blessed life and losing sight of self is the pathway to true love, true purpose and true joy. LORD, have mercy upon us and forgive our self-seeking ways. 

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