The farmer in the big house had planted a large summer garden, and was anticipating a bountiful crop of fruit and vegetables. As soon as he completed the planting the crows were circling the plot and scavenging for seed.

   To protect his interests, the enterprising farmer decided to construct a scarecrow. Taking two sticks, he attached them together in the form of a cross. Wrapping some straw around the sticks for fill, he then dressed the scarecrow with a bright-colored shirt and placed an old straw hat on top of the upright. He propped an old pitchfork up against the cross-member to make it look more real. His intent, of course, was to deceive the birds by making the scarecrow look like a human being. Though lifeless, the animals might think the scarecrow was alive and could chase them off at any moment.

   But then, like his cousin from Oz, the scarecrow took on a life of his own. He was determined to be the best scarecrow that any scarecrow could be. He wanted to perform perfectly for his maker. His resolve seemed to work for the first few days, but then the crows and other scavengers were venturing closer and closer to the newly planted furrows. The scarecrow struggled to look more alive and intimidating, but the crows were bold and persistent. Venturing down to forage seed and first-fruits without consequence, they soon were landing on his outstretched arms and nesting in his hat.

   The scarecrow felt so inadequate and ashamed of his poor performance, like such a failure. He tried to be more active, to jump and flail his arms and shout and scream. Neighboring scarecrows encouraged him to have more dedication and commitment, or to attend a seminar on "How to be a More Effective Scarecrow." All of his best efforts were to no avail. Unable to overcome his inadequacies and inabilities, the sincere scarecrow determined to muster up all his energy, grasp the pitchfork, and thrust it through his torso in an act of honorable suicide. This too failed. Unable to make the wooden cross-member bend, he could not get his arm around to perform this final act. He died of frustration and faded away in decomposition under the heat of the sun and the elements.

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   I have observed a similar scenario in the garden of Christian living where the seed of Christian living is supposed to germinate and produce fruit. Christians are often determined to be the best Christians they can be, and to perform perfectly for their Maker. To explain their inadequacies they often construct in their minds a "straw-man" called "self," who often goes by other aliases such as "old man" or "old sin nature." This bogey-man is perceived to be real, to be alive within them, to be themselves, supposedly hindering them from perfect Christian performance and allowing the intrusion of fleshly self-indulgence.

   Soon these Christians are trying their hardest to shout out the persistent intrusions. They dedicate and commit themselves to engage in activities to be better Christians and to overcome. Out of frustration, they try to masochistically beat themselves over the head, to pommel themselves, to "buffet their bodies." The ecclesiastical farm-hands encourage self-destructive actions to "die to self," to "put self to death," to "mortify your members," with the promise that such acts will effect victorious Christian living and fruitfulness. In response to such, Christians often attempt the impossible; they attempt to "crucify themselves" in a suicidal or homicidal act toward a "straw-man." Self-crucifixion is always an impossible act because the wooden cross-member will not bend!

   The "self" against which Christians often struggle is a "straw-man," whose demise can never be effected by any self-effort of attempting to "die to self." Rather, Christians need to realize that "the old man has been crucified" (Rom. 6:6), that they have "put on the new man" (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:11) in Christ Jesus, and as "new creatures in Christ" (II Cor. 5:17) they are to allow Him to live as He wills in their life. This is not to deny that there are propensities of the flesh which prompt self-oriented and selfish behavior, misrepresentative of our spiritual identity in Christ. We need to recognize that "the Spirit sets its desires against the flesh" (Gal. 5:16). We live by the life of Another! "It is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20).