Deny Yourself Series

Text: Matthew 16:24-26

Theme: Deny Yourself

Introduction:

The Lord is good and His love endures forever. This lent led us to think about the steps to elevation, I mean the spiritual elevation. Following Christ is the foremost step on the spiritual ladder. Today, I would like to meditate with you based on Matthew 16:24-26 about the Self. I would like to request you know yourself, love yourself, and deny yourself. Jesus says that if anyone wants to follow him, let him deny himself.

KNOW YOURSELF

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as ‘an individual's typical character or behavior; a person in prime condition; the union of elements (such as body, emotions, thoughts, and sensations) that constitute the individuality and identity of a person.’ Cambridge Dictionary puts it as ‘the set of someone's characteristics, such as personality and ability, that are not physical and make that person different from other people.’

The Encyclopaedia of Britannica defines it as ‘the personality or character that makes a person different from other people: the combination of emotions, thoughts, feelings, etc., that make a person different from others.’ Collins Dictionary defines it as ‘A person's self is the essential part of their nature which makes them different from everyone and everything else.’ The synonyms of the word self are personality, character, temperament, identity, soul, spirit, psyche, and heart.

According to renowned psychologist Carl Jung, the self gradually develops through the process known as individuation. The self is considered the center of an individual's world and encompasses more than just personal identity. The way you perceive the world is a reflection of yourself, along with your thoughts, actions, and characteristics. Psychoanalytic therapy helps with the transference of self. Transference is the process by which a person redirects feelings and desires from childhood to a new person or object (study smarter).

The essence of all Religions is that ‘Each soul is potentially divine’, i.e., we’ve infinite powers lying dormant within each of us. This awareness of the divinity, the kingdom of God within, as inner-Self, Life, Consciousness, Spirit, Atman, and Rooha. Greek philosophers had said ‘Know Thyself’. Striving to go within, to know the kingdom of God within, is education, religion, and the purpose of our vocations. Knowing that I have the same God in me as you have in you, gives us self-confidence, and this Vedantic awareness is what matches the idea of democracy; no undue privilege for anyone, equal chances for all (Sunil Kumar, Times of India – 03.03.23).

We are created fearfully and wonderfully as unique personalities or unique selves (Psalm 139:13-14). We grow through socialization which helps to ensure a consciousness of the presence of extraordinary power in everyone’s life, that is, God, the creator of the universe and humans. When we grow in the Church through Sunday Schools, MYF, and Yong Adult Fellowships, how yourself is tuned? Are you led to the Lord or led to worldly ideas and ideals? Christ would like to help you to know yourself and love yourself.

LOVE YOURSELF

Love yourself is a command (Leviticus 19:34, Mark 12:31, James 2:8). You can love yourself in a sinful way by being conceited, prideful, and arrogant and you’re better than everyone, but another one is naturally loving yourself. No doubt You are extremely handsome and beautiful because God has created you and made you irrespective of your color complex (Song of Solomon 4:7). For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). Whoever gets a sense loves his own soul (Proverbs 19:8).

No one hates his own body. They nourish their bodies and cherish with good and tasty food and drinks (Ephesians 5:29). But Paul warns them not to be lovers of self which means lovers of evil, crookedness, and wickedness at the cost of others’ interest. They are lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, and unholy. (2 Timothy 3:1-2). They have haughty eyes and proud hearts (Proverbs 21:4). They are deceivers because of their high self-esteem (Galatians 6:3).

Bible warns such persons and says that the praise should come from another person and not from your own mouth, from a stranger, and not from your own lips (Proverbs 27:2). Appreciate the love of God for you (1 John 4:19), who is rich in mercy, because of his great love even when we were dead because of our offenses, he made us alive together with the Messiah (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Loving yourself involves choosing to see yourself as God sees you and benefits you. You can enjoy the quality of life that God intends for you by deciding to love fully, which includes loving God, loving yourself, and loving others. There is a distinction between loving self and being selfish. Selfishness directs your attention only to yourself. Loving yourself empowers you to serve others while being selfish makes it difficult. Loving yourself frees you to love God, and love others. (Whitney Hopler, Author of ‘Wake up to wonder’).