Hang On A Second

Karen

I assure you, believers, by the pride which I have in you in [your union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily [I face death and die to self].

—1 Corinthians 15:31 AMP

When he was a middle schooler, my youngest son had a fondness for iPod games where a creature had to jump, twist, dodge, and dart in an effort to stay alive. Often he played them on our short commute to school each morning.

As we drove, we’d go over pick-up instructions. I’d also give my “Be sure your sins will find you out” lecture that my own sweet mama often gave me. My son would just keep playing his game, acting as if he wasn’t listening. But I knew he was.

Often when jockeying for a position in the carpool line, I’d inform my boy that it was time to get out of the vehicle. Usually, still engaged in the game, he would utter the same phrase to me: “Hang on a second. I gotta die.” As in, “I don’t want to quit just yet. Let my character finish this round until it dies. Then I will get out of the car.”

As he said it one morning, it spoke to my soul.

As a follower of Christ, I am to die to self. But so often I do not. I elevate self. I promote self. I think little of the other person and much of myself. But before I react, before I hurl a harsh word, before I pass judgment or speak unkindly, perhaps I need to take a deep breath. To pause and ponder. To say in a spiritual sense, “Hang on a second. I gotta die.”

How do we learn to die to self in the everyday details of life? These daily, hourly, and even moment-by-moment decisions are difficult! If we try to die to self out of our own strength, it will seem impossible. In these times, we must draw deep from the power the Holy Spirit offers and let His proper response override our natural and sinful one.

So the next time we want to react in a way that won’t please God, let’s remember my game-lovin’ guy and before we speak, take a deep breath. Take a pause that centers our heart, snaps our soul to attention, and gently declares, “Hang on a second. I gotta die.”

Dear Lord, may I learn to die daily. To both act and react in a way that pleases You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

What are some places or situations in which God is asking you to press pause and give yourself a minute to consider how your actions might affect others?