LOSING INTEREST IN SELF.

Nothing is so glorious as the reception of Christ into our lives. There, deep in the center of our true identity, he is Lord. We bow to him, leaving self and self-interest behind. At that moment, it is no longer enough to explain ourselves by owning up to our own names. We must own up to his. We must confess him to others and unashamedly say that our own identity is of such small importance we have replaced it with his...

The excellence of his lordship is often learned when we are locked in the jaws of need and failure. As long as we are winning in life, we bask in a glory that celebrates only ourselves. But when we begin to fail, our celebration of ourselves will not sustain us. Then we call out to Christ, confessing his name. How true the words of David, "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart" (psalm 34v18).
(The Unchained Soul, by Calvin Miller)