"Mortal Man"

Just a man, a mortal man,

With weakness that is real,

Feet of clay up to my ears,

Least that’s the way I feel.

Regrets too strong for me to list,

And failures just the same,

Hopeless if not for the grace,

I find in Jesus’ name.

Others who have found success,

Sometimes I wonder why,

Accomplished things I couldn’t,

It seems without much try.

But life is not what others do,

Or how blessed they’ve been,

Rather it is the way  we choose,

Whether righteousness or sin.

And that is what I do today,

I choose to do His will,

Ask for Him to guide me,

And with His Spirit fill.

Emptied of my ego,

Or my need to impress,

It’s all about God’s glory,

And old self less and less.

Conquer, Lord, that old self,

Relinquish all to die,

So, You, Lord can live through me,

And by Your grace supply.

Exchange, O Lord, my way for Yours,

Your Kingdom first I seek,

Give me what I need to live,

Your power when I’m weak.

And I will live to praise You,

To You surrender all,

Dependent on Your Spirit,

And listening for Your call.

“Then He said to them all: “If anyone would come after Me, He must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23, NIV)

Dying daily is the way of discipleship. But what does this really mean? It means that we proactively follow Jesus, making a daily choice to deny our will and submit to His. It means we intentionally choose against our own egotistical nature, and relinquish all our real or supposed “rights.” We ask the Lord to be our governing priority and the center of every decision. We hold everything with an open hand, and say yes to His rule. We depend upon the Holy Spirit to live the life of Jesus through us, and do through us what we could not otherwise do. That’s at least some of what it means to deny ourselves and take up the cross.

Lord, help us to deny ourselves and follow You, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Shawn Cameron, used by permission. Thanks, Shawn, and God bless you.