The Irony about Living

What if the health of a person was directly proportional to their willingness to die? What if a church's health was directly proportional to its willingness to die? Here's what I think...I think both statements are true. The most alive people, the most spiritually alive persons are those who are willing to lay thier lives down for that which ultimately matters. Churches that are laying themselves down are the most vibrant communities on earth- feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, sharing the gospel, healing the hurting. Show me a sick, self-consumed (i want to be comfortable and happy), enemic, impotent church and I'll show you a church that has stoppped giving itself away. THey have shifted into survival mode. Here's what I think, I think we have been tricked. Tricked to believe thier really is a survival mode. But I don't really think there is a survival mode. Perhaps survival mode has really been mislabeled all along. Survival mode is more appropriately called burial mode. Here's the irony- be willing to die to yourself and live, or continuing living for yourself and you will surely die. Same for individuals, churches, communities, nations, ... Oh it's what Jesus said(ref. Matthew 16.25).