Journey's Narrow Door

“I am and there is no other like me, 

Who is like me, I am the only one I see.

Oh glorious day when I look at my treasures,

 I have built a haven for my pleasures.

I have because of what I have done,

With all my might I work, play and have fun.

To me, goes the glory, for I am one to be respected,

For it is by my hand that my life has been perfected.

I am and there is no other like me,

Who is like me, I am the only one I see.”

Oh boy, when I am in my self-dog mode, I could sing this song all day long. Looking out to what I have accomplished, all I have and all I have planned for my life. What a self built empire I can imagine in my mind. Now, I am a picture thinker and whoa, what a wonderful world of self-glory I can imagine when I conveniently forget it is GOD that sustains my very breath of life.  Seems funny doesn’t it, my self-dog forgets that the very breath it takes to sing its praises, can in no way come from anything that is self-effort.  How deceiving is the world that tells me it is ok to indulge my hearts desires.

How about I take a look at my self-dog for a moment and let’s see what makes it tick.

My self-dog is:

• By nature a rebel
• Devoid of God / An adversary of God
• Inwardly focused/ vain / selfish
• Prideful – I need no one, especially God
• Un-teachable / a know-it-all attitude
• Un-grateful / not willing to acknowledge that all belongs to God
• Thinks more highly of self – smarter, more gifted, better business person, stronger, wealthier
• Trusts own judgments & strengths
• Materialistic – life is about bigger toys, homes, cars, success, etc.

My self-dog is ugly and the very opposite of GOD.  My self-dog does not want anything to do with GOD or His ways, His commandments or His truths.  My self-dog attitude is self first in all things, even being nice or kind comes with a “what’s in it for me?” mindset.  Self-dog creates an air of self adoration that leads to bondage and destruction.

No, it doesn’t seem like bondage or being destructive when I am all caught up in myself. While I am in self-dog mode, I can even be pretty good to other people while selfishly garnering attention to my good works.  The song above rings out in my mind and pushes me in to reach for the stars and live the American dream.  Only thing is, I am forgetting the GOD who placed the stars in the heavens and created the dry land which America inhabits today.

What a vicious circle of lies we are deceived into believing by satan.  Satan makes the world and the pride of being god in our own lives such a magnificent and admirable aim in life.  Who needs GOD, our Creator,  when we have the world before us and can do anything and everything we want?

Even as a Christian, I can have a heart of the self-dog.  The minute I take my eyes off Jesus and look down, is the minute I turn my heart from humility to pride.  The minute I forget GOD’s sovereignty in my life, I enslave myself to my self-dog.  I create a false sense of freedom that is actually the worse kind of bondage because it leads to death.

Warren Weirsby, in his book Be Resolute, says this:  ”To ignore GOD’s sovereignty is to exalt human responsibility and make man his own savior….”  The self-dog attitude sets up this mindset and believes the mantra “I am, and there is none like me.”  Turning the glory GOD should receive back on to self.  GOD does not share His glory with anyone.  Isaiah 42:8 (NASB) states:

 “I am the Lord, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to ^[a]graven images.

Now, self-dog is not a physical graven image, but it is an image of our own imaginations. Both are idols and both are not to be given glory for anything accomplished nor are they to be worshiped or praised.  Self-dog wants all the praise, glory and honor.  Self-dog is a prideful mind-set that keeps me believing I can be god and rule over my lives as I wish. But, GOD tells us In Isaiah 42:8 that He does not share His glory with anyone.  Satan found his delusion of his own glory untrue when he claimed GOD’s glory for himself. GOD threw him out of heaven.  And over and over again, GOD warns us in the Bible that pride comes to nothing but destruction and despair.  Psalms 16:18 states this for us:  “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”

What, then, is to be done about our self-dog attitude?

Self-dog attitudes (pride) can only be controlled by surrendering to the one and only

person who can and will do something about it, Jesus Christ.  When we surrender our self-dog attitudes to Jesus, we are laying down our lives, our hopes, dreams, aspirations…everything we are, giving every part of our lives to Him. We acknowledge His sovereignty in and over our life. We stop living selfishly and become focused on what Jesus wants for our lives.  We submit and humble ourselves to Him.  We confess and repent of our sins. We become open vessels for Jesus to live His Life through us.  GOD doesn’t overtake our lives; we must freely give Him every part of our life.  In Luke 9:23 it states:

“And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

“Denying himself” means denying my pride filled, world chasing self-dog. Giving up my will for the will of the Father. Jesus, looked always to the will of the Father. It took Him to an indescribable and brutally painful death on the cross. Willingly willing, He went to the cross because it was the will of the Father.  The will of the Father, who loved us so much “…For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  He gave us the only means by which we could be restored to a right relationship with Himself and have Life eternal.  Jesus, paid the price for our sin – our death.  But, Jesus also gave us His Life through the resurrection.

Denying our self-dog, is surrendering to the one and only person who has given us Life. Surrendering is not easy and not a once and I am done activity.  No, not once, but daily, hourly, minute-by-minute we must make these decisions to give up our will to the Father in Heaven.  The world is fast and luring. A good bone here and a sparkly dog house there.  We must be on guard and keep our hearts willingly willing to give up our plans and allow the plans GOD has for us to be worked out in our daily lives.  We must keep our eyes on Jesus and not look down to the world.

Will this be easy?  No.  But, don’t forget that we have a Living GOD in heaven that is ready and willing to help us when we ask. Surrender everything to GOD.  I don’t know what He has planned for you or me, but I know I trust Him because He never lies. His promises come true and He takes care of His children.  Trust Him!

Heavenly Father, help us.  Surrendering isn’t easy.  Help us to give up every area of our life that is keeping us from being totally and absolutely surrendered to You.  Show us our wicked hearts and allow us to repent of our sin. Help us to change and allow You LORD, to work in us.  LORD, we freely give to You every aspect of our life.  LORD, we acknowledge that YOU are the one and only GOD. Your ways are higher than ours ways, LORD, and You know the path You want us to be on.  Thank you LORD. We are grateful for all the simple and marvelous gifts you lavish upon us.  Each second is a gift of life from You. Thank You.

LORD Master, we give You our lives and everything we have.  We want to be clean and humbled vessels for Your use. May we be obedient to Your will and voice.  May our hearts bow down to You, the One and Only Living GOD. May our eyes be focused on You alone and not all the scents of this dying and death filled world.

You alone are our strength and joy.  You alone know the plans You have for us. You alone know are the beginning and the end. And, You alone are GOD alone; high and lifted up; worthy to be praised continually and forever.  Amen