So Long, Self.

As you can see by my previous posts, there are some differences between meditation and prayer: 

• During meditation, you are "tuning out" the world.  During prayer, you're "tuning in" to God.
• With meditation, you are "emptying your cup" of all your thoughts, cares, concerns of the world.  With prayer, you are filling yourself with the influence of the Holy Ghost, whose responsibility is to bring you to Christ.

Yet both meditation and prayer, by their very natures, share some common denominators:

• They require peace --a place of stillness and a time of stillness which helps you calm your body and, consequently, your mind.
• They also require that you lose yourself, shedding your ego and any and all thoughts that focus on you.

The Ultimate Submission = The Ultimate Empowerment

If I were to narrow down a phrase which could summarize the Lord's mortal ministry, it would probably be this:

"Not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42)

The Savior's ultimate act of submission was also his ultimate act of empowerment. As you relinquish your will to that of the Father's, you tap into the ultimate source of empowerment, discernment, peace and guidance. Thus, you see that:

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:24–25; see also  Matthew 10:39).

So, let me pose a few questions to you:

• How are you doing at "losing yourself"...in both meditation and your prayers?
• How effective are your petitions before God if they are focused on your will, not Father's?
• How often are you praying for the Gift of Discernment, so that you can better understand Father's will?
• How often are you "returning and reporting" to Father, repenting of your sins and trying to stay at least as "clean" as possible when approaching His divine throne?

Now, those who know me know that I am a big music buff. One music group I'm personally fond of is MercyMe, an American Contemporary Christian band founded in 1994.

The story behind it's 2006 hit song, "So Long Self", is simple: Just like when maybe you had to break up (or be broken up) with a girlfriend or a boyfriend when you were younger, the ultimate breakup in life is when we break up with ourselves. The song is lyrically about a break-up with sinful human nature -- the natural man (or woman).

Below is the acoustic Youtube version of the song and it's lyrics.  Underlying it's somewhat playful nature is a serious message: There's no room for two -- your ego or Father's will.  Yes, it has to end.  And yes, the blame rests with you.  But there is more to life than simply following your ego; namely, the One who really is worthy.

Are you up to the challenge of sacrificing your ego, your "self", to God (as the Savior mentioned in the Book of Matthew, above)?

If not now, then when?

When will you, too, have enough commitment to Christ to say... 

"So Long, Self"

Well if I come across a little bit distant
It's just because I am
Things just seem to feel a little bit different
You understand
Believe it or not but life is not apparently
About me anyways
But I have met the One who really is worthy
So let me say

Chorus
So long, self
Well, it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long, self
There's just no room for two
So you are gonna have to move
So long, self
Don't take this wrong but you are wrong for me, farewell,
Oh well, goodbye, don't cry
So long, self

Stop right there because I know what you're thinking
But no we can't be friends
And even though I know your heart is breaking
This has to end
And come to think of it the blame for all of this
Simply falls on me
For wanting something more in life than all of this
Can't you see

(Chorus)

Don't feel so bad (don't feel so bad)
There'll be better days (there'll be better days)
Don't go away mad (but by all means)
Just go away, go away

(Chorus)