Me, Myself, and I

My mama, my brothers, and me
DeSoto State Park, 1959

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.'" (Matthew 16: 24)

Over and over again throughout this 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, I've heard the Lord say, "Jill, don't be selfish; be selfless and follow Me."

How do I know I'm hearing Jesus? Because over and over again, His Bible gives the same message:

"He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance of a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:3-8)

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20)

I dare say that all of us who call ourselves Christians agree wholeheartedly with the truth of these Scriptures, but I dare say few if any of us live these Scriptures daily.

O Lord Jesus, 

Please help me deny myself, die to myself daily, and follow You. You must increase in my life; I must decrease. Please help me grow in Your attitude of humility, servitude, and obedience—even to the point of death. Help me regard others as more important than me. May the life I now live in the flesh be lived by faith in You, Lord Jesus, the Son of God, who loved me and gave Yourself up for me. By me alone, such a selfless life is impossible, but I can do all things through You who gives me strength minute but minute by minute. 

In Jesus's name I pray, 

Amen and Amen.