Practicing the willingness to say no to ourselves and to things in order that the command to love God and men may have real meaning is a tremendous challenge for us due to our fallen nature. We all experience the natural inclination to focus on ourselves and what we want, and not to deny ourselves. Since the fall of humanity, we are inclined to do everything we canto put ourselves at the center of the universe. This is where we naturally want to live. And this is precisely the environment that we're saturated with in this age, isn't it?

In our effort to live the Christian life, to engage in true spirituality, we must face this fact head on. Even as a Christian I am prone to be focused on myself and my pursuit of things and my own victories, regardless of the cost to those around me, so it's inaccurate not to feel as if I were smashing against a wall when I consider the call to this negative. And if I stand in the normal perspective of fallen humanity, especially the normal perspective of our modern age, I will feel as if I am having a high-speed collision with the hull of a battleship. But if I shift my perspective, and that is what we are pursuing here, the whole thing changes.

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For more resources from and information on how to contact Pastor Johnny, please visit the following sites:

https://www.invictusmaneopress.com

https://www.thoughtoutfaith.com

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Attributions:

"Hope" and "Dawn" by Kazukii.

https://soundcloud.com/ohthatkazuki

https://ohthatkazuki.bandcamp.com

"Nycterine" from Echo Grid.

https://soundcloud.com/echogridmusic

https://echogrid.bandcamp.com

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