self-starters and martyrs‏

Oswald aptly titled this devotional "The Law and the Gospel."

The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Romans 7:9). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless— “. . . sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God— it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!
 
We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.

We must surrender our will to God.
This is often the last thing to go.

We will try out happier thoughts, loftier ideals.
We will give a silver-lining outlook a go.
We will give God a chance to win us over by giving part of ourselves to Him.

But the surrender of our ability to choose for ourselves we will hang on to until the very end.It is the last battlefield of the soul.

We will do any number of things other than come to Jesus and hand Him the keys of our lives. We want Jesus as our co-pilot, not our captain.

There is no way to be a worshipper Jesus and yourself.
You will love one and hate the other.

There is no way to be the master of your own life period.
We are slaves.
Either to sin or to Jesus.
There are no other options.

2 Peter 2:19b 

...people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.

To whom or to what do you place yourself under?
One must submit to someone or something.
What controls you?
What compels you?
What must get done before the day is done?
Where are your priorities?
What would you never do?
What do you always do?

For most, these questions are largely anchored in one's own agenda.

But for the Christian, it must be Christ's agenda alone.

At all costs.
At all times.
At all places. 
All for Jesus.
Alone.

2 Corinthians 5:14

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.