DIE TO LIVE

John 12:23-26 - "²³ Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."

 As a disciple of Christ, God requires much from us. He may not ask us to go into full time ministry, but He asks us to die to ourselves. It is not so much about what we do, but what place we have given Christ in our lives. There are many people who are doing great and wonderful things in the name of the Lord, but have not died to the desires of the flesh. As we serve God out of right attitude and in righteousness, God the Father will be pleased with us and honor us.

Peter & Andrew immediately left their nets and followed Jesus when they were called. They gave up their fishing trade to follow Jesus which probably put a financial crunch on the family.

Matthew 16:21-23 - " From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Some times God calls us to do things as disciples that don't make a lot of sense and even appear counter productive. It is at times like this. Good meaning friends try to discourage us in doing what God has told us to do. They do this because they are looking at the thing through a human point of view and not with God's eyes. It is not totally their fault because they did not receive the word or revelation of the Lord. Yet, we must not allow them to be stumbling block to us. We  must not allow their good intention to keep us from doing what God has asked us to do, no matter what the cost.