Lent Day 6
Have you ever thought about how Lazarus went through life after Jesus raised him from the dead? Maybe you do a better job focusing on the important things, do some of the things you’ve put off until the right time, or say the things you haven’t had a chance to say to loved ones before.
The thought of death brings a renewed intentionality to our life. When someone we know passes away, especially at a young age, we often think of how we’re living our own lives and the purpose to which we live changes.
Jesus calls his disciples to die. (Luke 9:23; Mark 8:35; John 12:24; Gal 2:20; Romans 6:1-4; 1 Peter 2:23; 1 Cor. 15:31) Paul and Peter reiterate it in their letters. But what is different about the Christian faith and the calling of Jesus is that in order to gain new life through him, we must die to ourselves.
Paul talks about this in Romans 12:1-2. He says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Paul understands, probably because he has lived it, that this life is about giving up all of our ambitions, desires, plans, and even understanding and allowing God to transform. And the new life that we get helps us to be able to understand God’s will.
During lent, we focus on our death so that we can find life through Jesus’ death. And when we choose to find union with Jesus’ death we find life. But the paradox is that our death comes when we choose to follow Jesus and when we lay down our ambitions and selfish desires.
The call to come and die is a call to daily choose God over ourselves. The call to die is a call to find life through Jesus and commit our day, our jobs, our free time, our families, and our motivations to Christ himself.
Today take some time and think about some of your motivations and how you need to daily lay them down at the cross of Christ.