Deny Yourself

Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. But I’m tired, I’ve had many late nights with the baby. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. But he can do it himself, he’s had more rest than I have lately. Deny yourself take up your cross and follow me But I have so much to do. Deny yourself take up your cross and follow me. But…..Sound familiar? When the house if full of little ones, when there are endless things to do, when you are tired beyond tired, it’s challenging to deny yourself. In the verse before Matthew 16:24 Jesus just rebuked Peter for desiring the things of man rather than the things of God. Peter did not want to hear that Jesus would suffer and die. But Jesus put an end to that kind of talk quickly.

‘Get thee behind me Satan, you are an offence to me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men.’ Peter’s intentions were not bad, he loved Jesus. But they were not of God. We have to be aware of the Peters in our lives, the ones who mean good but encourage us to desire the good things of man rather than the things of God. Denying ourselves isn’t easy, but it is necessary to live a fulfilled Christian life and one that brings forth fruit.