“Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, ‘Follow me’” (John 21:19, NLT).
I know. Kind of an unusual header verse for a devo, right? But I had to share it with you because Holy Spirit has been stirring it in my heart for us. In this final interaction with Peter in the Book of John, Jesus foretells Peter’s death. This maybe seems not too cheery of a subject upon first glance. But as true believers in Jesus, we are called to not fear death. Jesus was bestowing on His close friend a sacred honor. Peter was going to glorify God through his dying.
What is on my heart as I meditate on this passage is not actually martyrdom in the physical sense. (Although I do believe that it behooves us to be mindful of our siblings in Jesus around the world who daily are giving their lives for Him). Rather, what stirs in me is this truth: being willing to die brings glory to God.
Every day, we are given opportunities to die to ourselves. In fact, Jesus said that we can’t really be His disciples unless we are willing to do so. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate… yes, his own life… he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26-27, NKJV). As I was explaining to my kids recently, this obviously does not mean that Jesus literally wants us to hate our lives. What it does mean is that His call to discipleship is a call to supreme loyalty to His name. A loyalty so fierce that we are willing to lay down our lives for Him… every single day.
The way this plays out in practical terms directly affects all of our human interactions. Bearing our cross means being crucified with Jesus. It means allowing our annoyance at someone’s rude behavior to die with Him. It means allowing Holy Spirit to nail to the cross those choice words we felt like slinging at that inconsiderate individual. It means turning the other cheek. It means going the extra mile, gently serving the one who is treating me unjustly.
It means blessing the person that said that unkind word to me. It means letting my pride get thrust through, over and over and over again. It means choosing humility when it stings and squeezes tears out of my eyes. It means being willing to lose all the arguments about matters of preference. It means choosing deep-heart forgiveness and mercy a hundred million times.
Like Jesus. Like the beautiful Lamb who did not open His mouth to defend Himself. He showed us how to do it. He showed us how to remain silent in the face of fierce injustice. He showed us the greatest love that has ever existed, by taking up His cross.
We are called to love like Him. We are called to live like Him. And we are called to glorify God by dying like Him… every day of our lives.
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23, NKJV).
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Rev. 12:11, ESV).
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Is it possible to be a true Christian without following Jesus in the way that He describes in these verses?
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(Note: I want to mention with urgency that I do not espouse staying in an abusive relationship. If you are being abused verbally, physically, sexually, or in any other way, this is not what Jesus wants for you. I lovingly urge you to reach out for help and healing!)
Feeding On Jesus 
Love this…”We are called to love like Him. We are called to live like Him. And we are called to glorify God by dying like Him… every day of our lives”!
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Thank you, my sister! ❤ 🙂
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Very good post! We live by the example that we have been given; every day we surrender our hearts to God. We pray that His will be done. As it says so clearly in scripture,’ His ways and thoughts are way above our own.’ ( Isaiah 55: 8-9)
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Yes! His understanding, who can fathom? How amazing to be led by such magnificent wisdom as is His! 🙂 ❤
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No, it isn’t possible, as to do otherwise shouts to the world that we do not have God at the top of our priority list. There can be no gray area here; He must be No. 1, completely without exception.
I was favored with the chance to make that very point to a group of seventh-graders yesterday. They know now that my list has God No. 1, then wife and kids, then my work as a deacon. Of course, I fall short sometimes in all 3 categories in terms of giving needed attention. But my Top 3 must never, ever change.
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That is absolutely wonderful, Mike! What a special gift to both you, and those kids, to have that time together. I am profoundy confident that your words of wisdom will stay in their hearts and help shape them. A sacred privilege! Thank you so much for sharing your valuable thoughts on this 🙂
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Unless we are prepared to die to self we cannot be ‘re-born’ into the Kingdom of God. Great teaching . Thank you!
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That is absolutely right, Faye. Thank you, too!
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Bring humility to every interaction we have. When we know God, when we truly submit to His will for us, we will have the strength to love even those whom it is difficult for us to. Being willing to put aside our own pride and love like Jesus, to really embrace the live He generously provides, means holding our arms wide open to love without limitation.
Thank you for sharing these words. 😊
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You are so welcome, Hamish. And you are right. Loving like Him, especially those that are hard to love, is essential for living in HIs will. Thank you so much once again for adding value with your thoughtful comments!
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