Denying Self

So there is this medley of ideas swimming around:

• Sin working for the Good of those who believe in Christ.

• Our obsession with self

• Our inability to ever fully comprehend those around us.

• The fact that we constantly think we comprehend the people around us.

• And the fact that we judge people based on our half comprehension of them without ever fully understanding the true depth of the situation.

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So lets see how I can tackle these things by sitting and writing until it makes sense to me.  Usually I do this and edit it several times and you see the finished product, but I think it might be beneficial for both of us if I don't try to be so precise, but simply show the process.

I think it is safe to say that all of us are pretty obsessed with ourselves.  Some people with how perfect they are.  Some people with how ugly they are.  Some people with how fat they are.  Some people with how single they are.  Some people with how blessed they are.  And of course I could keep listing things all day.  Fact is, we get obsessed with ourselves.  And I think that to a certain extent we are meant to be.  I mean, we are ourselves.  We are in contact with ourselves daily.  We know our thoughts.  We know our needs.  We feel our desires.  It only makes sense that we would be concerned with these things.  I suppose this is the difference between self and selfishness.  Being aware of your desires is one thing: putting those desires before others is another.

"Selfishness: concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others"

Pasted from <http://mw4.m-w.com/dictionary/selfishness>

But then we run into scripture like Luke 9:23 (whoever would come after me must deny himself…Himself: his normal, healthy, or sane condition or self).  This does not say to deny selfishness, but rather self.  Our normal, healthy, sane self.   We must deny our self.  Our self that thinks our thoughts.  Our self that tells us that we need water and food.  Our self that we know so intimately.  That we trust.  We must deny. 

But surely to deny our very selves will lead to our death?

Yes, that is what it means to take up your cross.  The cross is a beacon of hope, but not at the time Jesus said this.  He was saying, deny yourself to the point of death by crucifixion.  To the point of appearing cursed before men.  To the point of torture.  To the point of agony.  Deny yourself.

To be continued...