Hundreds of people have died in recent years
while taking selfies, usually when they're doing something risky. In case you don’t
know, a selfie is when people take a picture of themselves with their
smartphone.
A 38-year-old man living in India, died last week after he jumped the fence at the zoo and tried to take a selfie with a lion. Apparently, he didn’t know lions don’t like their pictures taken. A couple on vacation in Portugal fell over the edge of a cliff while taking a selfie. A man in Washington taking a selfie on a railroad track was struck by a passing Amtrak train. Two young men in Russia died after pulling the pin on a live hand grenade while taking a selfie. The phone with the picture on it remained as evidence of the incident.
God doesn’t want us to die taking selfies, but He does want us to die to self. Paul said, “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31), which meant he chose to die to selfishness each day. Why does it need to die? Because “Self” wants to be the center of attention, demands its own way, and fights against doing God’s will. Dying to selfishness can only be done by submitting to the Holy Spirit. “If by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:13).
You probably don’t want to do the things listed below because your “Self” doesn’t want to do them. Don’t listen to him. Here are some ways to die to selfishness.
1) Give at least 10% of your income in
offerings to the Lord. That’s 10% you can’t spend on your Self. No pun
intended. Self dies when you give.
2) When someone insults you, you humbly say
something nice to them. “Not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a
blessing instead” (1 Pet. 3:9). Self dies when you don’t retaliate.
3) Forgive the person who hurt you. Every time
you forgive someone, Self dies.
4) Quit talking about yourself, especially when you’re seeking to be praised. Self dies when you don’t brag about him.
You can probably think of other ways to die to self. Just don’t let Self talk you out of them.
PRINTED SERMON: Fishing Lessons
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