Episode Details

Jesus consistently modeled dependence on the Father through prayer, obedience, and service. He came not to be served, but to serve others, ultimately giving His life for humanity. In the same way, believers are called to deny themselves daily, not through their own strength, but through the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. Through trials, hardships, and acts of service, God uses surrender to refine faith and produce spiritual maturity.

This devotional reminds readers that sanctification is a lifelong process. Though dying to self is difficult, it leads to deeper fellowship with Christ, greater spiritual growth, and the abundant life Jesus promises to those who follow Him faithfully.

Highlights

• Philippians 3:10 reveals Paul’s desire to become more like Christ through surrender.
• Following Jesus requires daily humility, sacrifice, and obedience.
• Selflessness in everyday life reflects Christ’s servant-hearted example.
• Jesus modeled dependence on the Father through prayer and submission.
• The Holy Spirit empowers believers to deny the flesh and choose God’s way.
• Trials and hardships can become opportunities for spiritual growth and sanctification.
• True life is found when believers surrender their lives fully to Christ.

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Full Transcript Below:

We Must Die Daily

By: Emily Rose Massey

Bible Reading:

“…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10, ESV). 

As a mom and wife, I am given countless opportunities to set aside my own wants and to sacrifice my love, time, and attention to my husband and children's needs. Pouring yourself out like that on a daily basis can sometimes be physically exhausting; I find myself praying for supernatural strength often! Yet, at the end of the day, even though I am tempted to wonder where my “me time” is, my heart is always full. 

This is when I begin to see more clearly what the Apostle Paul meant when he said: “I die daily.”

The Biblical principle of dying to yourself has always been true, but I didn’t always live it or even understand it. Becoming a stay-at-home mom has challenged me in more ways than I can count in the area of putting others before myself, and I am always learning and finding that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive. 

As Jesus’ disciples, we are called to follow Him. That was Paul’s mission in life – to imitate Christ. And it is what he and the rest of the apostles literally gave their lives to preach to the world through their words and actions. We may not ever get the honor to literally die for Jesus Christ because of our faith in Him, but by God’s grace, we can imitate His selflessness every day.

The apostle Paul emphasizes his great desire to join Christ in His suffering and become like Christ in his daily dying of self:

“…that I may know him and the power of