Christ-followers are called to seek the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of self — to self-deny, not to self-identify. Think outside the self-box. Serving others instead of self, rocks!

Self-focus shackles us to our own feelings and opinions and drags us away from the joys of serving others. Fear forces us into a defensive, self-focused, and self-protective mode. Love focuses us on kindness and compassion for others. Disagreement is an opportunity to show kindness, not a call to arms.

To extinguish your anguish, refuse to languish in fear and negativity. Instead continually nourish your mind with love and hope.

It’s easy to be like “whited sepulchers”—self-proclaiming that we’re clean, yet inside being “full of dead men’s bones.” Suppressed guilt always torments.

To express self-express sin and self-suppress guilt, brings torment. To resist sin and admit guilt, leads to forgiveness.

If you choose self-identity rather than your conscience and the wisdom within you, you’ll be overcome by the chaos around you. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Christianity’s about receiving God’s grace and then allowing, Christ in you, to empower you to obey His will, not your own. If we are not acutely aware of Jesus’ mercy and forgiveness, our self-focus will tend to hold back from opening up to His presence and leadings.