Spirituality
I Die Daily
by Chris Bunton
There’s a verse in the Scriptures which says, “I die daily”. (1 Cor. 15:31)
It is a small quote, within the context of a larger concept, but it’s a powerful tool for life improvement and spiritual growth.
We often wake up in the middle of the night, or in the morning, full of anxiety. Our mind races after problems, troubles, worries, plans, goals, mistakes, and depression.
But, if every morning we make the simple act of “dying” a reality, then none of these things matter.
Let me explain. This is not real death, although, in a way it is. When we say” I die to self today.” And we believe it and accept it, a transformation occurs in our mind.
When we announce to ourselves. “I die to self today. I am going to live for God and others.” Our focus moves from ourself to God and others.
We then live that day focused on serving God and others.
Sounds easy, right?
Well, you will probably need to remind yourself of this several times during the day. Especially when your buttons get pushed. Just take a moment and remind yourself that your life is not your own. It’s for God’s use. It’s for a higher purpose than the typical day to day things we chase after. God did not create you, so you can pay bills all day, then die. That is not the purpose of any human.
How can you serve God and others?
You serve God by being a vessel for Him to do His work through, to save and help others.
Our will. Our selfishness. Our sin, prevents that.
So, where are your hurts at? What has God brought you through? Drug addiction? Health issues? Divorce? Job loss? Prison? Homelessness? Death of a loved one? Suicidal thoughts?
These things are an indication of where we can let God work through us to help others.
We have experience in these areas of our life. We have been through divorce. We have dealt with drug addiction; we have had cancer or some other disease and God has brought us through. We can use this insight to help others and encourage them.
When we die daily, we open ourselves up to see the hurt in others. We are not looking at ourselves, but outwards. It quiets us so we can hear the Spirit moving us and guiding us.
By doing this, it also works to heal us of what we struggle with.
We are what we think about all day long.
If our thoughts are always on depression, trouble, suicide, drug use, fear, desire, loss or anything else that hurts us, then it becomes magnified, or can manifest into our lives even more.
Dying daily can get our head out of those things. It can help us to focus on something different and get us out of our feelings. By helping others, we often gain insight into our own situation. It follows the principle of “Give and it shall be given unto you.” If we sit and stew in our own minds, we might remain trapped. But when we step outside of ourselves, doors can open.
I am not saying it’s easy. But, if you make a habit of dying daily to self, and speaking positive things to yourself, it can make a huge difference in your life. Just the act of releasing yourself from your own issues can be powerful. It’s like a break from the monkey mind trying to keep you spinning. When you focus on others you “forget” about the things eating at you for a while.
In Christian concepts, we turn to God and give ourselves to Him. By doing this we die with Jesus Christ, and are buried with Him, and rise from the dead with Him.
When we believe this, and put our faith in Christ, confessing that Jesus is the Lord, it cleanses us and we are reborn.
Think about it. When we die, nothing can hurt us. Nothing can be against us. Because we are dead.
Imagine the freedom that brings. All the pain, all the rules, and all the evil of this life does not really hurt us. Because we remind ourselves that we are dead to it.
We are not of this world, and the suffering here ends in death. Our spirit goes on, but not here.
Dying daily is a powerful tool for life improvement, it will transform you. Giving yourself to Christ will transform you in ways you can only hope for.
(1 Cor. 15:31)
About the Author
Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in Centralit Magazine, Written Tales, Edge of Humanity and The Yard: Crime Blog. His books include, “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction”, “Against the Man: Rebel Poetry”, and “The Future is Coming” Dystopian Stories. He can be found on Medium and at Freelifeblog.com.
 It is a small quote, within the context of a larger concept, but it’s a powerful tool for life improvement and spiritual growth. We often wake up in the middle of the night, or in the morning, full […])
