When Good Desires Compete With Christ

The Truth About Following Jesus

What does it truly mean to deny yourself?
Jesus’ words in Matthew 16 confront us with a call that is far deeper than self-discipline or minor sacrifice. They call us to allegiance.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

Matthew 16:24-26 ESV

 

Deny (Strong’s G533 – ἀπαρνέομαι, aparneomai)
To forget oneself, to lose sight of oneself and one’s own interests.

Cross (Strong’s G4716 – σταυρός, stauros)
Not hesitating to cheerfully and bravely bear persecutions, troubles, and distresses, recalling the fate of Christ and the spirit in which He encountered it.

Follow (Strong’s G190 – ἀκολουθέω, akoloutheō)
To join as a disciple and to cleave steadfastly to one, conforming wholly to His example, in living and, if need be, in dying also.

When Good Desires Compete With Christ

Jeremiah tells us that the heart is desperately wicked, and many times, so are our desires. We are tempted and drawn away by what our hearts long for. But there are also good desires, longings that reflect the way God has designed us.

A desire to be a good mom.
To excel in our work.
To make an impact in this world.
To be married and to be a good spouse.

These can be good desires. But our desires, even the good ones, should never come before the Lord Himself. When a desire begins to take the place of the Lord in our heart, it becomes an idol.

We must be willing to lose sight of our own interests in comparison to knowing and loving God personally. Even good desires must be laid down at His feet.

In doing this, we must also willingly and cheerfully bear the trials in our lives in the same spirit that Jesus bore the cross. He entrusted Himself to the Father. He did not revile in return. He suffered without threatening. Jesus is not only our Savior, He is our example.

Following Christ In Suffering and Surrender

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

1 Peter 2:21-23 ESV

Following Jesus means cleaving steadfastly to Him, conforming our lives to His example in our living, our suffering, and even our dying.

This is a high calling. And we often fall short of it.

We focus so much on our own desires and our own lives that we forget what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ.

Reflection & Application

The call to deny ourselves and follow Christ is not limited to life-altering decisions. It confronts us in our daily desires, priorities, and responses. Consider the following:

1. Are there desires in your life that have become more important to you than the Lord Himself? If so, confess this to Him and ask for His guidance in changing your heart.

2. Where might your time, attention, or energy need to shift so that the Lord is clearly first in your life?

3. How do you respond to the trials or difficulties in your life, and does your response reflect the spirit of Christ?

4. What specific step of obedience is the Lord calling you to take right now?

5. How does the gospel change the way you respond to Christ’s call to deny yourself and follow Him?

Prefer to watch? The full conversation is below.