Deny Yourself

"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

It's good for us to tell ourselves no sometimes. We understand this concept in parenting, but it gets lost on us somewhere in the transition into adulthood. We all know that a child needs discipline and many times, the thing they want is not what they need. A loving parent is okay with letting their kid get mad at them for denying them what they want in the greater interest of giving them what they need.

Research is even proving that kids who are exposed to frustration and learn how to manage it, grow into more resilient adults. So as a parent, we know that it's good for our kids to wait in line or go to the doctor or eat their vegetables, even when they don't want to. We can see the bigger picture and how this will help them to mature into a stronger, healthier adult.

God is the same way with us. He is far more concerned with making us spiritually mature than making us comfortable.

That's His heart behind fasting. He knows the dependency that comes with denying ourselves and He doesn't want you to miss out. He loves us enough to deny us what we want sometimes so we can know Him better. So the question becomes, do we love Him enough to deny our own desires and seek Him?