DENY YOURSELF

   Coligny Beach, Hilton Head Island


Good morning to you on this beautiful Saturday!

I pray that you have a blessed day and did yesterday also. We went shopping and to the beach yesterday and to eat. I didn't buy anything. It is really weird for me. I don't really need a thing. I don't need jewelry. I don't need clothes. I don't need a thing. God has truly blessed me with all that I have and all that I need. Shopping I have usually loved on vacation but in all reality I don't need a thing. The one thing that I need is Jesus.

Things have not been exciting to me this trip. My husband wanted to buy me things this trip and I couldn't find a thing that I wanted. That is very unusual for me. I guess this is a good thing. Places and doing stuff has meant more to me this week.

Our discipleship Bible study we have been doing has been talking this week about denying ourselves totally. Let me quote Darrell Johnson:

"To deny yourself means to deny your self-lordship. It means saying no to the god who is me, to reject the demand of the god who is me, to refuse to obey the claims of the god who is me. A decisive no--"I do not know the Lord Me--I do not bow down to him or her anymore." Jesus calls us to say no to ourselves so we can say yes to Him." 

Wow, that is strong but true. Denying ourselves is total and complete not part way. It sounds very difficult to me but a must do to follow Jesus totally.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be 
my disciple must deny themselves and take up
 their cross daily and follow me. For whoever 
wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever
 loses their life for me will save it.
Luke 9:23-24 

That verse specifically says to “deny yourself!” “Yourself” being you and your desires over what God desires for you!

This sounds hard. And maybe the stuff that I could buy this week is part of doing that. If it is, then maybe I am doing just a little better at being a Christian than I thought. I want to do it all the way. Of course, all the way probably won't be until I get to heaven. In all reality "stuff" doesn't really amount to a hill of beans compared to the kingdom of God. And I will make many mistakes along the way including wanting some stuff that I don't really need but it is a start.

Have a wonderful day!

Les (lesbear)






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