“We cannot be self-consumed and follow Christ at the same time.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – June 13, 2026
As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. John 17:18-23, NKJV
Of all the ways I long to grow in my life in Christ, I think my tendency toward self-absorption and self-interest is surely at the top of the list. If I stop for a moment and truly think about it, the vast majority of my time is spent reflecting on my duties and responsibilities, my wants and needs, and my dreams and desires. This navel-gazing inversion is a fight every human must face, for it is a direct result of the fall and the sickness that infects us all.
We cannot be self-consumed and follow Christ at the same time.
In fact, if our life’s aim is to become “little Christs,” then it is to his own example that we must look, and what do we find? Time and time again, Jesus models a life of humility that is always oriented away from himself and toward the other, and we see this with perfect clarity in John 17. It is, he says, for their sakes that he sanctifies himself. And even when he speaks of the great mystery of the Trinity, it is a receiving in order to pass on. “The glory which you gave Me I have given them” (v. 22).
Whatever you and I have been given – wealth, power, influence, skill, success – it is given to you that you may give it away! This is the explicit example given to us by Christ himself, and if we long to be numbered amongst his followers, we must delight in doing the same. Do not be overly concerned with your own wants and needs. Do not believe the lie that this is the path to meaning and fulfillment. Your greatest joy in life is becoming by grace what Christ is by nature, and the more you and I conform our lives to his example, the more we become the men and women we were made to be.
Prayer
Father, help us to follow Christ as he leads, finding freedom from ourselves and the joy of giving our lives away in your name. Amen.
Application
How can you lift your gaze up and out in a new way today?
Related Reading
Mark 8:34-35; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Peter 4:10
Worship Resource
Hillsong Worship: To Be Like You
Donate
If you are blessed by these daily devotionals please prayerfully consider a donation to support Wisdom Hunters Resources. We are trusting the Lord for His provision.
Download our app!
