If honest, we don’t want to deny ourselves of pleasures. Personally, I don’t want to restrict chocolate, coffee or hot tea.

Each provides pleasure. Like it or not, my problem with self denial is that I’m prone to be self-centered.

Ouch! That’s hard to admit but I know it’s true.

I want what I want and want it when I want it.

That’s more than a tongue twister. It’s a warped way of looking at life.

Jesus brought self-denial to the forefront.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every person according to his deeds (Matthew 16:24-27 NASB).”

Jesus is the perfect example of self-denial.

He took up His cross.

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8 NASB).” 

Published articles in Mature Living Magazine, Devotions for the Deaf, The Secret Place, Coosa Journal, Mary Hollingsworth's The One Year Devotional of Joy and Laughter, Jo Krueger's Every Day in God's Word. http://www.pamforddavis.com
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