Hebrews 9:16-17
For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.

I’ve been thinking a lot about those verses ever since I read them a couple days ago. Read in context, it’s clear that the death referred to is the death that Christ died to redeem us, cleanse us of our sins, and stand before God on our behalf.

But I believe we can also apply this verse to our own lives. Living to be more like Christ involves a daily decision to die to ourselves. The easiest way I can make sense of that goes something like this:

Dying to ourselves = living God’s will.

Of course, dying to ourselves—our desires, our preferences, our ambitions, our selfishness—doesn’t exactly sound like a joy ride. It’s a lot easier to talk to a coworker about the weather outside or weekend plans than it is to step out in faith and share the Gospel with him or her. Forgiving someone who has wronged us severely may go against everything that our flesh tells us feels natural. Loving someone who is difficult to love might make us cringe.

Yes, dying to ourselves is difficult and painful, but it’s worth it. Why? I think that’s answered just one chapter earlier:

Hebrews 8:6
But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

God’s promises—to bless us for our obedience and grant us eternal life for giving our lives to him—make dying to ourselves to live God’s will worth it.