"Self Denial"

  Jesus drove home a point in Luke 9:23: "And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'" He didn't mince words! Jesus states if this is not done, one can't be My disciple.

  One of the most difficult things to do is deny self! To deny yourself literally means to "disregard one's own interest." This is a demand on the soul, your soul! Self denial  is never easy because there is a cross involved but one can never walk with Jesus until this happens. Too many want to promote their wants, their personal desires and work off the way they feel. Whenever one has strong feelings about a situation it is difficult to say no to yourself. What we need to realize is that we need Jesus enthroned on our hearts and not our personal feelings and wants. When we live according to our desires, the best it will get you is separated from God because God can't use you in that heart setting. Jesus said this is what a disciple of Mine does; they deny themselves!

  "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:26) This explains a little more in depth what it means to deny self. I thought we are to love our parents, mates and children? What does Jesus mean? Simply put, those closest to us are not to interfere in our walk with the Lord! They are not to be the Lord of our lives. There is no relationship, no matter how cherished the people are, to come between you and your serving the Lord. To refuse Christ and His Lordship for the love of a parent, mate or child will cost you your soul. Wasn't it Jesus that taught we are to love God will all our heart, soul and mind? We love our families but we aren't to allow them to be loved over the Lord.

 Have you ever spoken with someone about their soul and the gospel to save them and they couldn't respond because of their concern for what their family would think? They refuse to deny self. The love of family was greater than the love of God.

  Sometimes we want certain things our way and when that desire is strong, it gets very difficult to deny self. A disciple of Jesus must deny self. That inner surrender of ourselves to Christ become the principle upon which our behavioral patterns are built. Look how many times the church has split over the lack of self denial. People pursue their feelings, their desires while talking about the Lord and HIs word and will destroy the very things of God in the process of their pursuits. We need to go the extra mile and that takes self denial. You can love, even when you have been taken advantage of or hurt because of self denial. Didn't Jesus?