SELF DENIAL

The Christian life carries with it the awesome obligation of self-denial.  It proposes that personal ambition and public glory are to be minimized in our struggle to achieve the Godly life.  The New Testament leads us to believe that Christians are a people who make themselves expendable for the cause of Christ.  Their hunger for acceptance is met in the call of God to be a servant people.  Their need for recognition is satisfied within the fellowship of folk who have found no glory except in the cross of Christ.

Denying oneself is a demanding discipline because the normal tendency is to look out for ourselves.  At times we seem to be incurable parasites drawing from every organization and personal acquaintance all the emotional and material benefits we can acquire.  Even the attention we require at church becomes a hindrance to our servant witness.  One of Satan's most subtle maneuvers is his ability to lead us away from cross-bearing to glory seeking.  Such an attitude always interrupts the kingdom of God.

People who seek to use the church for their own emotional advantage will eventually abuse the church by becoming critical of it when people of the church fail to feed their egos.  There is no substitute for self-denial.  It is the only way the cause of Christ is properly promoted.  If in the context of grace we are not motivated to give ourselves away we will never know the joy of sacrifice and surrender.  A seed must fall into the ground and die if new life is to emerge.  Somehow the joy of new life removes every need to complain about the death to self which it requires.