If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. – Luke 9:24

“It doesn’t make sense. Why do I have to die to live?” he said. Devin was a new convert. He believed Jesus had died on the cross for his sins, rose from the dead with all power, and now lives with God the Father in Heaven. But he struggled to accept giving up his way of life to be more like Jesus. Devin liked the way he lived – doing what he wanted, when he wanted, how he wanted.

“After you shower, do you put on dirty clothes or new ones?” the pastor asked. “New,” Devin quickly replied. “Exactly,” the pastor responded, “you can’t take sinful flesh into a clean, Spirit-led life.”

Like Devin, many of us highly value our freedom. But Jesus’ words in Luke 9:24 are clear – we must die to self so we can live for Christ. We die to self when we give up our plans and desires so God can reshape us according to his will.

In this Lent season, let’s carefully examine the areas of our lives we try to keep control over instead of letting God lead. Each day on this side of eternity is a new opportunity to surrender more than the day before until one day, we’ve fully surrendered and God calls us home. It’s not easy, but it is necessary.