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"And He said to all, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me." -Luke 9:23
A common theme you'll find in the New Testament is self denial. As Christians, we're called to give up everything to follow Christ and renounce anything of ourselves. It may not mean literally giving up all your belongings, but rather, it's a heart that seeks the interest of Christ first and foremost.
The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines self-denial as "the willingness to deny oneself possessions or status, in order to grow in holiness and commitment to God." GotQuestions.org goes further and states, "Self-denial for the Christian means renouncing oneself as the center of existence (which goes against the natural inclination of the human will) and recognizing Jesus Christ as one's new and true center. It means acknowledging that the old self is dead and the new life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3–5)."
We do not belong to ourselves once God has saved us. We become slaves to Christ, and His glory is our goal. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die."
Examples of self-denial in the Bible would be Ruth, when she refused to leave Naomi and followed her. Esther, as well, when she put her life at risk to save her people.
But what does it look like to deny yourself daily? Some examples of self-denial and crucifying the flesh are prayer, giving to the poor and needy, living modestly, disciplining yourself to read and study the Word of God, and esteeming others higher and loving them more than yourself.
GodQuestions.org summarizes it like this: When you are willing to sacrifice your time, energy, rights, position, reputation, privileges, comforts, and even your very life for the sake of Christ, you exemplify what it means to deny yourself: "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39).
So what will you do this week to deny yourself daily, take up your cross, and follow Jesus?
