Daily Dying
We get what we truly need by going through the door of it's opposite - If I want to live, I have to die!
I was having coffee with a friend the other day, and he was telling me about his New Year’s resolutions.
You know the drill.
Lose weight. Exercise more. Read more books. Spend less time on social media.
All good stuff.
But then he said something that caught my attention: “I’m really going to do it this year. I’m committed!”
I smiled and asked him, “Are you willing to die for it?”
He looked at me like I had three heads.
“Die? It’s just a diet, Padre!”
But that’s precisely the problem. We want transformation without death. We want resurrection without crucifixion. We want the benefits of discipleship without the cost.
Good luck with that.
Today’s Lesson: Luke 9:23-27
The Lord said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus doesn’t mince words here.
He’s not offering a self-help program or a spiritual supplement to make your life a little better.
He’s talking about death.
Daily death.
“Let him deny himself and take up his cross DAILY and follow me.”
Notice that word “daily”? This isn’t a one-time decision. It’s not a dramatic moment where you make a big commitment and then coast. It’s EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
You wake up, and the first thing you do is die to yourself.
Your preferences? Dead.
Your agenda? Dead.
Your need to be right, to be comfortable, to be in control? Dead, dead, dead.
That’s the only way to follow Jesus. There is no other path.
What Can We Take From This?
First, following Jesus is fundamentally about loss, not gain.
Our culture is obsessed with addition. Add this supplement. Add this habit. Add this practice. Get more. Be more. Have more.
But Jesus says the path to life is through loss. You have to lose your life to save it. You have to let go of the very thing you’re desperately clinging to—your autonomous self—if you want to discover who you really are.
This is the great paradox of the Faith. The way up is down. The way to life is through death. The way to find yourself is to lose yourself in Christ.
Next, saving your life is actually losing it.
Jesus warns that “whoever would save his life will lose it.” What does that mean?
It means that when you spend your whole life protecting yourself, building walls around your comfort, defending your rights, and insisting on your way, you end up with nothing. You’ve saved your life right into a prison of your own making.
But when you’re willing to lose your life—to risk, to give, to sacrifice, to die to yourself—you discover a life you never knew existed. A life of freedom. A life of purpose. A life that actually matters beyond your own “too small” concerns.
Finally, there’s no compartmentalizing with Jesus.
“Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory.”
Ouch.
You can’t have Jesus as your personal spiritual guru on Sundays and then live like a pagan the rest of the week. You can’t claim to follow Him while being embarrassed by His teachings when they’re inconvenient or unpopular.
He’s either Lord of your whole life, or He’s not Lord at all. There’s no middle ground. No compromise. No “Jesus and...” It’s Jesus, period.
This daily dying, this willingness to be identified with Christ no matter the cost, is what separates disciples from fans. Fans want the benefits. Disciples want Jesus, even if it costs them everything.
St. Hilarion the Great
St. Hilarion the Great was born in Gaza around 291 AD to pagan parents. After his conversion to Christianity, he went to the Egyptian desert to learn from St. Anthony the Great, the father of monasticism. But Hilarion didn’t stay in the comfort of learning under a great saint. He returned to Palestine and lived in radical asceticism—eating only fifteen figs a day, wearing the same garment until it fell apart, sleeping on the ground. He literally died to himself daily for decades. His holiness attracted so many followers that he eventually fled to Cyprus to escape the crowds, seeking only Christ. He lived to be about 80 years old, spending nearly his entire adult life in this daily crucifixion of his desires and comforts. His life wasn’t about achieving greatness or building a ministry—it was about daily dying to himself so Christ could live in him. That’s Normal Orthodoxy in action.
Your Response Today
Today, what are you trying to save that Jesus is asking you to lose? What part of your life are you protecting, defending, clinging to, when Christ is inviting you to let it die? Your need for approval? Your comfort? Your control? Your right to be offended? Jesus isn’t asking you to make a dramatic, one-time sacrifice. He’s asking you to pick up your cross DAILY. Every morning, you get to choose: Will I save my life today, or will I lose it for Jesus’ sake? The path to resurrection always runs through crucifixion. There’s no other way. Stop looking for shortcuts. Embrace the daily dying, and discover the life you were always meant to live. This is Normal Orthodox life.
P.S. As we gather on this day, we sing your praise and acclaim you as a never-setting light of the bright spiritual Daystar. Those who ignorance benighted, you did illumine with your beams; and you raise unto the divine heights, O Hilarion, our Father, all them that cry out: Height of ascetics, Rejoice!
Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV
Thank you, Fr. Barnabas! Thank you for emphasizing that word "DAILY." The Way seems so upside-down from the other messages we receive all day long!