Deny and Follow

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. – Matthew 16:24

One thing I will note, my titles usually relate to different experiences or two different verses, but today, I will only focus on this verse. I have not been writing as much as I would like, yet I still find encouragement in these entries, as I hope you do.

The depth of this verse is not as deep as some may consider, though the value is great when it is lived out... ultimately leading to our earthly death. To better understand scripture, I use and recommend the David Guzik commentary because he has put a lot of time into developing that. Anyway, I have held this verse with me a while now, and find it to be something that I keep looking to in everyday life. Essentially when we deny ourselves, it is not self-denial where we are giving up things we want, like certain foods or activities, for a greater purpose (though that is valuable on its own). Denying yourself simply means to deny what you want in this life. Denying your will and following the Lord's will.

This is exactly what Jesus did when he went to the cross. At one point, Jesus even asks God to take away the responsibility of the crucifixion (Luke 22:42). Yet he knows that is what God needs from him to grant mercy on us, so he carries out his calling anyway. Personally, I doubt any of us would make it the whole way to the cross, whether we run away, or give up prior to the event. However, this is what Jesus is calling us to, and I have constantly had this verse on my mind whenever I am making a choice for myself. I actually bought a cross necklace to remind myself of the verse and though it is fashionable, I keep it as my own cross to carry. The necklace holds me closer to the Lord when I am reminded of what Christ has done for us.

More than anything, I hope to deny myself and follow Christ more, each day, until I am brought up to Heaven to be with Him. Christ denied himself and followed God's calling to death on the cross so that we had the freedom to choose our life. If one wants to serve Christ, they must expect the same result, giving up the glory of this world, for the glory of God.

May the Lord guide you and uphold you on this journey, so you choose to follow him.