Kingdom Come 4

 I’m constantly relearning to let go of what I thought was important. I wonder if part of denying myself and taking up the cross as we follow Jesus is denying my old self to put on the new. My old self includes the false ways I have viewed life or myself, the way I thought others looked at me, or the victim mentality I’ve had. Feeling the physical embrace of Jesus, as if He hugged me right now, and what He would say to me helps me leave the old behind. Rehearsing His words in my mind helps: ‘Do you love me?’; or ‘Follow me’.  Listening to the sermon on the Mount as if He were speaking to me individually counters everything I’ve grown up with. It’s helped to concentrate on the words of Psalm 23 and Psalm 27 as prayers that have changed and will change my life.