I sent out a 30 Mighty Men Message on Tuesday asking two questions: “What are you willing to die for?“ AND “What are you waiting for?" I linked this verse, because I'm talking about dying to self, not so much – actually physically dying; but it reminded me of this post from a year ago, and I thought I'd share it again…

Posted in: Devotional by CaptainAJ in The Big 3 Zone on April 09, 2010

Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 22:13 NIV)

There are some things in life that people say you can never really be ready for.  Others say that there’s never really a “good time” for some things like having a baby, or even getting married.  These events in life some refer to as “sink or swim events,” because you’re getting thrown in the water and you’ll either sink or learn to swim!  But dying??? Well, that can be a little different.

I met a young 2nd Lt while I was getting lunch yesterday, who’s attending the Basic School right now and is trying to get an IA (individual augment) billet (job) in Afghanistan because there’s a 9 month wait for flight school.  I can’t help but think about the friends I’ve had who have gone to Afghanistan — and a few that have not come back.  You might say I have an “enhanced perspective” on the matter, and because of that, a question came to mind after the young 2nd Lt and I parted ways –  thus the title of this post.  Some might think it’s a morbid thought and one you shouldn’t dwell on, but the fact of the matter is: as the Gunny in Full Metal Jacket so eloquently stated: “Marines Die, that’s what we’re here for…”  so with that I ask myself: am I ready?

Unlike getting married or having a baby, for dying, you really only have to do one thing in order to be ready — We who believe know what that one thing is: Accept Him Who paid the penalty for the separation from God we were born into.   It’s a simplified answer, and there’s much more that we learn as we go, but once that’s done, we’re ready to die because we've crossed into life!

I wouldn’t say the “ready to die” topic of discussion is fit for the dinner table or around the living room, but, between fully devoted followers of Christ, we can have times of fellowship where we examine our hearts, and ask this kind of difficult question.  And after the question has been answered, we can press on to help others answer the question for themselves.

Now let’s turn the table for a second before I finish, and look at Paul’s enhanced perspective on life- saying what he did in Acts.  Paul had something else to say too, that we can learn from: “as for me, I die daily."  Let’s focus on the difference between the physical death and the death to self.  Both saints and sinners wake up dead every day, one wakes up physically but is spiritually dead, and the other wakes up alive in the spirit and puts to death the flesh with it’s lusts.

Therefore, we can look to Jesus who was also ready to die for us: “Father, My heart is ready” is a great quote from the Passion of the Christ.  And let’s also look at Paul who’s goal it was to imitate Christ, and was both ready to die, and died daily.  And let’s show the world that we too are ready to die, though we know we won’t until His work in us is done.  Like Maximus’ friend, Juba in Gladiator said: “I will see you again, but not yet, not yet”

Peace,
Adam

Scripture Links:
Acts 22:13, 2 Cor 5:21 John 5:24, Isaiah 59:2, Psalm 51:5, Colossians 3:5, 1 Tim 5:6, 1 Cor 15:31,