John 12:24-26 NIV records, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.12.24-26.NIV

Following Jesus means living as Jesus lived on this earth and doing what Jesus did while He lived on this earth. This earth is not our home, as it was not His home. This earth is our mission, as it was His mission. The Great Commission is our mission as it was His mission made possible by His living a perfect life, dying on the cross and shedding His blood for our sins, and rising from the dead to become Judge and Intercessor for everyone. Jesus died to self by denying the privilege, power, and glory of His deity while He lived on earth. Jesus humbled Himself before men to take upon Himself the sins of men. Jesus humbled Himself before God in order to perfectly obey every word of God. Our death to self may include dying for His Name’s sake and the gospel, the greatest possible way for us to leave this earth and receive heaven’s highest reward. Death to self is daily, humbling ourselves before others, giving in to their preferences, letting them have their way, and deferring to their selfishness in order to demonstrate God’s love, humility, and willingness to love sinners, which all of us are. This love of others by humbling ourselves before others is not a compromise with sin bringing us into sin but compromising with our will and allowing others to win in order to demonstrate the vanity and foolishness of living a self-centered life rather than a God-centered life. Letting others go first, get the best place, and have their preference of seat when we were first is dying to self, denying ourselves as Jesus did daily in a world where He should have been recognized, deferred to, and honored as King of kings and Lord of lords for that is Who He was and truly is. Living in humility before others as God lived in humility before others pleases God our Savior greatly and brings about His greatest blessings on that day we will see Him to be judged by Him for every word spoken and every deed committed.