DENY YOURSELF ...

During the Lenten season, it is common for us to practice self-denial!  It seems my grandfather on my father's side, who was known as 'Kaanathu Asirvatham,' used to walk everywhere during the Lenten days and then give the money thus saved to the Church!  For some of us, it is food; for some, it is entertainment or TV; and the list goes on.  It is good for us to understand what the Lord means when He says, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Mt. 16:24-27).   There is no way the Bible talks about doing something just for forty days!  I believe self-denial goes far beyond just physically denying ourselves for a short time. 

Denying oneself starts by not yielding to sin!  When we think of the nature of sin, we find it is always self-centered.  When David summoned Bathsheba, he was thinking only of himself and how he could gratify his lust.  When he ordered Joab to murder Uriah, he was not thinking about losing a faithful soldier but only saving his name from disgrace.  Denying ourselves is not giving in to 'self'!  When we look at the sins listed in Gal 5:19-21 we can clearly understand that 'self' is involved.  Sometimes we are very proud of our educational qualifications, family background, and abilities that we want to intimidate others.  The Bible teaches not to give in to such self-gratification!  Denying oneself is not pressing our rights.  God has given us the freedom of choice and the freedom to enjoy our God-given life.  Sometimes, the 'right things' that we do might hinder some weak brother!  Paul says that everything is permissible for him, but not everything is beneficial (I Cor.10:23,24).  Such restraint is challenging and has to be practiced in every issue daily.  These are not things to be followed just for forty days!

My friend, denying oneself begins when we surrender our 'self' entirely under the Lordship of Christ.  What the Lord expects from us today is to deny ourselves and commit our every ability, every desire, every right, and every passion at the feet of Christ so that we will not live for our desires but to live to glorify God!

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