Dying to Live

“I’m dying for spring to get here!”, I heard one lady say.  “I’m dying to pick up my new pet.”, said another in response.  “I’m dying for a bowl of ice cream”, her daughter sighed.  How often do we hear people say they are dying for something?  I think what is actually being communicated is, “I’m dying to live.  When I get to this place, get this thing I desire to have, or accomplish such and such, then I’ll really be living.”  

 Living means different things to different people.  Some spend their whole lives here on earth looking for pleasure, riches, or prestige.  Others, spend their lives giving, loving, and serving others.   

Which type of person are you? Jesus Christ said in Matthew 16:25 KJV, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”  He said, again, in Mark 8:35 KJV, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” KJV The concept Jesus was trying to get across to his followers was you must learn to die, before you can truly live. 

Jesus used an example of a corn of wheat getting planted into the soil to demonstrate that one must die in order to live an abundant life.  The Bible records Jesus saying in John 12:24 KJV, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”  He was teaching them that in order to really live, we must learn how to die.

We must put to death our carnal, selfish minds and the way of the world and we must replace it with the way of God. We must put to death our carnal, selfish desires, and choose to walk in the way of the Lord, which, like wheat, will bring forth much fruit.  

There is great advantage in dying to live.  Are you dying to live?