Denying Self

I watched the Oscars this past weekend, along with the premier of American Idol, and I was reminded of a few things. One being, how self-obsessed our culture is. Every person afforded the chance to speak used the opportunity for none other than self glorification. Even if they didn’t directly praise themselves, it was easy to read between the lines. I noticed how easy it is to call out “hollywood” for being a bunch of egotistical hypocrites (which I undoubtedly did), but when I think about our world and, particularly, our job as a follower of Jesus Christ - I blush and immediately want to vomit. As I pointed my perfectly manicured finger at those people, I suddenly realized I am no different than they are. The focus of my ego is just manifested in different ways. Ways that have real serious and dangerous implications.

In an age focused on numbers - number of followers, subscribers, views, speaking engagements, size of platforms, likes/loves, tweets, people in attendance - and a “me” mentality complete with books and podcasts devoted to self-care*, self-help and just about everything revolving around “self”; Jesus beckons us to be less like our self, and be more like him. "If anyone of you want to be my disciple you must deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24), he says. And he also makes sure to warn us that it won’t be easy following him, nor will it be glamorous. In fact, he says we’ll be hated because we are his followers - along with persecuted and maybe even killed (Matthew 24:9). Fully following Jesus, the way he says to follow him, should make us a little uncomfortable and is not an easy task on our own. If it were easy, I would love to think more people would be doing it the way he says to do it.

I just can’t help but notice we are completely missing this critical component called denial of self in order to follow Jesus. To put it bluntly and unapologetically: We are obsessed with ourselves. We’re obsessed with our platforms, our “influence”, our followings, our seminary degrees, our positions, our comforts, and our messages. We say we want to serve God’s kingdom, but we enjoy serving the kingdom of ourselves more. We pray for our ministries to thrive and grow, but we can’t make time to take food to the neighbor that has fallen on hard times. We want people to follow Jesus...just as long as the spotlight stays focused on us and the followers keep following us. We desire to be a christian influencer to the masses, but we don't take time to influence the one(s) in our own home. Holding ourselves in higher esteem than the people we serve, we end up disconnecting from people and service in order to promote self and platform. We tell God, “use me, send me” yet we don’t leave the comfort of our living rooms. Walls are built around our perfect facades hindering service and crippling us from being used as a vessel for God. We proclaim the truth of God’s word, highlighting the feel good and motivating things of it in order to fit our agenda, but we completely disregard the fact that one day we will all be judged under the authority of Christ. Scripture ends up being used to accommodate our motivational message instead of our message being used to accommodate scripture.

We say we want to be like Jesus - be his follower - but do we really? Do we really understand how Jesus and his twelve lived, and how his life was a model for us?! Do we understand the level of “denying self” that had to happen for us to share the truth we get to share today? Do we realize the price that Jesus’ first followers paid in order to follow him - crucifixions upside down, boiled alive, sawn in two, beheadings, exiled, etc.? ’d venture to say we don’t really get it or understand. I don't get it or understand. Quite frankly, I’m not really sure we want to either. We enjoy the spotlight too much. Somewhere in between Jesus’ final instructions before he ascended to Heaven (Matthew 28:19-20) and now, we’ve missed the point of what following Jesus looks like. Each step taken should be one more step shedding our “self” and stepping into the image of God’s son, Jesus Christ.

Denying ourselves and following Jesus is about serving others with a pure heart. Jesus was compassion. He was a friend to the friendless. Jesus loved people - he loved being with them, around them, serving them, and healing them. He never elevated himself above anyone. He didn’t claim to be an “influencer”, but He became the greatest influencer of all - not only by the way he lived, but by the way he died. God gave us the most perfect example of what it looked like to “deny yourself” in the form of his one and only son, Jesus Christ. Until we become less consumed with our followings and hashtags and more concerned with becoming undone for Jesus - we can't be a disciple of Christ. We may gain the following, the spotlight, the accolades, the money, and the fame - but we will be held accountable on judgement day.

I’m praying anyone who goes by the name Christ follower that reads this would, by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, evaluate where you stand in truly denying yourself to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I’m praying you’d care less of what people think of you and more about what Almighty God thinks of you. And by the Holy Spirit’s power in refining and sanctifying, you and I can change. We can show this fallen world what it looks like to be a true follower of Jesus Christ: Not only by how we live, but by how we die.

*self-care is so important. I am by no means saying it’s not important...for everyone! I believe, however, self-care can become dangerous when we place it above soul care and our service, as christians, to others.