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Deny Yourself and Follow Christ

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” 

Matt 16:24

It is vital in our Christian faith that we deny ourselves as we run our race towards the goal. If we are full of ourselves, we will fail to reach what the Holy Spirit wants us to become—like Jesus Christ. Jesus never thought of Himself while looking unto the cross. He did not consider how painful and tiring it was to be rejected, despised, disrespected, accused, and hated by the very people He needed to redeem and rescue. His focus wasn’t about Himself, but rather on doing what the Father wanted Him to do. That devotion made Jesus fruitful and successful in accomplishing His mission in the Kingdom of God. Now, He is seated at the highest place beside God’s throne. 

 

That is why Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 that if we wanted to become His disciples, we must become like Him—denying ourselves and picking up our cross to follow Him. Denying yourself is not easy, if you do it through your own effort alone, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, He will empower you to do so. When you encounter difficult situations or when people bring challenges that trigger offense, anger, hurt, or pain, take it as an opportunity from God to deny yourself, to crucify the urges of the flesh, and to simply look to Jesus and follow what He says. 

 

If you desire this for your life, simply come to God in prayer and thank the Holy Spirit, who is empowering you to become like Jesus. Praise God, for He is strengthening your faith, and focus on Him as you follow the way of Jesus towards denying yourself each day. In your weaknesses, Christ will be your strength. You will bear much fruit for His Kingdom as you move towards the goal of Christ!

 

Deny Yourself and Follow Christ_

 

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