To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain

God started giving me this message in the early morning hours. It is such a confirmation to me that God wants to use this blog to speak to His children. When I am not even thinking about it, when I am barely awake God speaks to me.
In Philippians 1:21 Paul says, "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." He is saying either choice is OK because if he lives he has Jesus and if he dies he has great reward with Jesus. If we have Jesus in our heart we don't have to be afraid to die. This is talking about physical death but there is another way that God asks us to die and that is the death of the flesh. As a matter of fact, you can't truly live until you die. What do I mean by that? We have to die to ourselves, our fleshly desires. I remember the first time someone told me, "It's not about you." I felt a pain go through me and I had a revelation. Oh, it's really not all about me! Wow. So every time I start feeling selfish I have to remind myself, "It's not about me." For example, when I start complaining to myself that I never get any time to myself, to do the things I want, etc. Then I remind myself, "It's not about me." This really helps put things in perspective. Life is really all about serving Jesus and each other. In giving our life away, we get our life back. Aren't the things of God amazing. They are so opposite from what the world tells us. To live we have to die, to get we have to give.
In 1Corinthians 15:31 Paul says, "I die daily." He is not talking about physical death but death to the flesh. Death to his will. We have to die to our will and say, "Not my will but yours be done, Lord." Isn't that what Jesus said when He went to the cross? Jesus says to be worthy of Him we must take up our cross and follow Him. I will close with one more scripture:
John 12:24-26
(This is Jesus talking) I tell you the truth, 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. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am my servant will also be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."
It can seem scary to die to ourself, to have to give up getting our way. But it is amazing because when we do this, we find true joy, love, and peace. It's the only way.