How do I “deny myself”?

How do I deny my agenda, my plans, my wisdom, my understanding?  How do I ASK Him about everything, and THANK Him about everything, acknowledging that I don’t know what’s best, what’s thankable?   How can I be curious and expectant about what He will do NEXT, in me, others, circumstances?   How can I be dead to my agenda, and freshly offer up to Him my physical, emotional, financial health, and tell Him to do with me however He likes, that I trust Him?  How can I be humble enough to enjoy others, myself, just as we are, and the circumstances He has crafted for all of us?

I cannot.  But He can.

One thing I CAN do, is ask for the Spirit, claiming the promise of Luke 11, inviting Him to freshly convict me of the sin I cannot see, especially the sin of confidence/independence/worldliness, which seems so normal, so human, so American.  And I can ask others to ask Him on my behalf.  Following Jesus is impossible, unless His Spirit works in my life, humbling me afresh, convicting me afresh, giving me abundant LIFE afresh.  And even then, being other-worldly is always temporary.  And I get no credit, no glory.

–DumbSheepDave, who would know nothing of such things, if his Shepherd’s Spirit hadn’t been working in his life, at times, hopefully for the benefit of the pre-believers around him

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