DIE TO YOURSELF.
That's right. Die to yourself. This isn't a phrase that we usually say to someone, but it should be one of the first things to cross our mind each day. I'm talking about the ability to humble our hearts by intentionally getting rid of the selfish desires we have. The apostle Paul is a great example of this discipline in humility. In 1 Corinthians 15:31, Paul makes it known to the church at Corinth that, "I die every day!"
HEAR ME OUT.
Dying to yourself may be the most important thing you do each and every day. As humans, our tendency is to be self-centered and focused on how we can make our own lives better. In fact, our basketball program has been focused on dying to ourselves and placing others first so that Christ can be glorified. Serving others and humbling ourselves is what we're talking about! It's an imperfect process, but one that we are all in together. We need to die to self so that we can be alive in Jesus.
““For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.””
As a basketball coach, it is vital that I wake up every morning and remember to die to myself. Having a spirit of humility is what will allow me to make the greatest impact on those that I'm surrounded by. It's not easy, but I'm ready to fight it! When I sense by heart becoming selfish and arrogant, I need to die to myself and pursue Christ.
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends of faith - and that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”