Mel Eisenhofer, author
Do you remember when you first gave your heart and life to Christ? Do you remember the feeling of freedom? Do you remember the desire to be close to and to learn more about him? The truth is, that there are times when life seems to just slip in and draw us away from Christ a little tiny bit at a time. Before we know if we aren’t reading our Bible or spending time with him in prayer. In this lent season, we take time to look deeper at our relationship with Christ. We look for ways to reignite the fire in our hearts for Christ.
So, were do we start? As I thought about it this week I was reminded of a simple scripture. Mark 8:34 tells us, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” So, how can you apply this scripture to your life today? Let’s start by looking at what it means to deny yourself.
The first thing we’ll look at is our identity. When we give our lives to Christ we become someone new. The Word tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12) We are no longer who we used to be. We have been adopted into the family of God (Ephesians 1:3-8). We must deny the identity that we once had. We are no longer that person, but have been made new. We can not continue to walk in the ways that we used to walk in. Instead, we represent God in everything that we do.
The second thing comes in our individuality. Many people would say that we no longer have our own identity. I do not believe that this is true. However, we do need to remember that we belong to a part of the body of Christ. We aren’t simply part of ourselves. The Bible says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27 ) Your individuality is important to God and to the kingdom of God.
We are all different. We have different talents and abilities. We all have strengths and weaknesses. There are things that you can do that I can’t. The opposite is also true. When we look at the big picture we see that it takes each and every one of us to reach the world for Christ. It takes everyone doing their part to reach others. When looking at our individuality, denying ourselves means that we are willing to use who we are to help the kingdom of God.
So, we have identity and individuality, but what is next? Let’s move on to selfishness. The truth is that we live in a very self-centered world. We are told that we should do what makes us feel good. The world lies and says that we are owed something. That it is okay to be mean to others as long as we feel that they deserve. However, as Christians we are directed to do something quite different. We are instructed to, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3) What would happen if we did this? What if we really considered others first?
We live in a world that is full of pain, addictions and more. If we took time to help and appreciate others would we have so many people who commit suicide every year? Would more families be able to stay together? Selfishness causes destruction and pain for everyone around you. I know a young man named Justin. When he came into our ministry as a seventeen year old he was not welcome back at school ever again and was addicted to drugs and alcohol. He was born as a product of a rape and was reminded of it every day by his mother. Truth be known, he had been told that he was trash and had grown up to live it out. However, when he came to us he was ready to live a different life. At our group he found out that people loved him and cared about him. He found that people were willing to spend time investing in his life. He found that that God loved him no matter what he had done and that he was a special creation of God. This tells us that when we stop and take the time to care about others its funny how easily things can change.
Now that we understand how selfishness affects our lives, lets look at denying our physical self. We know that we live in a world that is getting farther and farther away from God. We see things on TV in our own homes that they wouldn’t have shown in theaters without a major rating warning just ten years ago. To add to this, our society tells us that its ok to use sex to sell products on television, billboards, online and in magazines. It tells us that anything that makes feel good is ok. However, that’s not what scripture has to say. Instead, we are told, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This reminds us that the Holy Spirit resides within us. Our bodies have become a temple of God. What we do with our bodies is important and does matter. We need to keep this in mind when we make choices.
While we are talking about choices we can look at the last part I think of when thinking of denying self. This one is touchy to many people; its money. We need to be willing to deny our financial self. Today we are busy trying to keep up with the latest things. But are they really things that we need? If we take the time to look around us we will find that we are surrounded by people with needs. Families in your neighborhood have empty cupboards and can’t pay their bills. Children are only being fed while they are at school. People loosing their homes and living in their cars. However, when was the last time that you personally took the time to notice, let alone did something to help. We are told, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) Christians are called to help those who need it. We are called to be generous. I can tell you personally that my life is more fulfilled and happy as I’ve learned to give cheerfully to others. I hope that someday you will also find that same joy!
So, now that we have a better handle on what denying yourself is really about lets look at the rest of the verse. We are told to take up our cross and follow Christ. This means that we need to choose to be a Christian. We are not simply one because we once prayed and asked God to forgive us. Instead, it is a choice that we personally make each moment of every day. We choose to follow Christ and do what he lived out to show us. He was generous, loving, helpful, and holy. We need to live the way Jesus showed us to. If we take the time to read our Bible and pray we will find our personal relationship with Christ growing! That is exactly what I hope and pray for each and every one of you!
Let your fire burn bright!
