Stan and I were again having breakfast together at the Twelve Baskets Cafe one morning when he mentioned that one of his neighbors got a new car that drives itself. Since I was not familiar with whether they can actually do that, I was interested in what he had to say.
“Did you actually see it drive itself?” I asked.
“I did,” Stan replied. “My neighbor gave me a ride and I witnessed that the car actually does drive itself. You have to pay attention, but you can ride from one place to another while the car does the driving.”
“That sounds kind of scary,” I ventured. “I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
“I felt the same way before I actually experienced it,” Stan responded, “but the car actually seems to do a better job at driving than my neighbor!”
“But,” he continued, “my neighbor did mention something about his new car that affirms a truth about his faith walk.”
“His faith walk? In what way?”
“That rather than being self-driven,” Stan replied with a smile, “we’re to deny self and let God do the driving! From the standpoint of actually being and living as Christian, self driving is not the way it’s supposed to be!”
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Bible verses to consider:
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever looses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?” Luke 9:23-25.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus and His finished work on the cross as the way to life with you, the life that begins here and will continue forever. Even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, I confess that too often while I remain on this side of eternity, rather than denying myself, I am self-driven. Please forgive that foolish approach to living the new life you’ve given. Help me follow every step of your lead in truly denying myself, truly taking up every day what you have for me to take up, and truly following wherever you want to lead. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name ofJesus. Amen.
Think on this: Are you no longer self-driven in the sense you have surrendered to and accepted what Jesus accomplished on the cross, namely, the way to life with God? If no, why do you choose to remain separated from God both now and forever? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with denying self and giving up being self-driven? If you sense the desire for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?
The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does He know you need to truly deny self and give up being self-driven? Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journaling to see what God knows you need. He will show you!
Forward: Do you know others who would or could benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?