Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].” (Matthew 16:24 AMP)
Abraham Joshua Heschel once said, “Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say ‘no’ to oneself.”
What do these two quotes say to us today – to a culture where anything goes, where I am encouraged to say ‘yes’ to my desires, where so many are conforming to the direction of society, rather than to Christ? So much is upside down in this world today. We need to say ‘yes’ to Christ and ‘no’ to oneself.
The Apostle Paul put it this way, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2 NIV)
-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson
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