Giving Up Today In Order To Receive Tomorrow…
“The ascetic denials that are so much apart of the life of faith in no way deny pleasure. They prepare us for it” (Eugene Peterson).
Wow. Powerful quote. This got me to thinking about some of the ways that God invites Christians to deny ourselves–only with the help/power of the Holy Spirit!–that sometimes causes us temporary suffering and/or to be ridiculed by others.
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Luke 9:23-24: “Then [Jesus] said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.'”
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Please note that our denials must be “for Jesus”–not for ourselves! Oh how we need the Holy Spirit to help us do things for the LORD! Why we do something is just as important as what we do! Please also note that these self-denials are not to earn God’s love, forgiveness, salvation; not at all! The self-denials flow, rather, out of a heart that is overflowing with joy & gratitude for the LORD’s unearnable grace & love that have been received by faith…
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By denying myself the temporary pleasure of living life my own way (and ending up only where I can take myself) I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure of letting Jesus be my Savior and learning to live life His way (and ending up where only He can bring me).
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By denying myself the temporary pleasure of over-working in order to achieve earthly success I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure that comes from growing closer to my wife and children (i.e. eternal success).
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of over-working in order to achieve earthly success I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure that comes from growing closer to my wife and children (i.e. eternal success).
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By denying myself the temporary pleasure of gaining attention by showing off my external body via minimal clothing I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure that comes from focusing instead on cultivating my internal character and thus having God show off His presence within me via small/daily acts of love and service.
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of gaining attention by showing off my external body via minimal clothing I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure that comes from focusing instead on cultivating my internal character and thus having God show off His presence within me via small/daily acts of love and service.
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of buying something today and paying it off tomorrow I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure that comes from learning to be content/satisfied with what I currently have.
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of getting revenge on those who have hurt me I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure that comes from having God teach me how to forgive them (and thus appreciating more how much He has forgiven me).
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of constantly talking/broadcasting my own opinions I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure that comes from learning to listen to what God might be saying to me through other people (though this must always be filtered through the Bible!).
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of tearing someone down with my words I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure that comes from learning to build others up with my words.
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of revealing to others my good deeds in order to gain an earthly reward I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure that comes from anonymously serving others and trusting in God to give me an eternal reward in heaven.
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of spending money primarily on me I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure of experiencing the blessings of sacrificial giving.
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of constantly watching t.v./movies/being on the internet I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure of investing some of that time in meeting with God by reading the Bible.
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of giving up in a difficult situation I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure of hearing Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; come and share your Master’s happiness” (Matthew 25:21).
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of winning an argument with another person to prove that I am right–winning the battle but losing the war–I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure of praying for them so that Jesus can show them that He alone is right.
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of ruthlessly clinging to my own opinions I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure of learning to trust by faith in what Jesus has revealed through the Bible–HIS Truth.
By denying myself the temporary pleasure of working working working to accomplish a few things on my own strength I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure of praying praying praying and watching God accomplish many things on His own strength.
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By denying myself the temporary pleasure of committing adultery I am preparing myself for the more lasting pleasure that comes from growing closer and closer to my wife over decades of building up trust and monogamous intimacy.
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Perhaps this is partly what Jesus meant in Matthew 6:33:
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“But seek first [today!] his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well [tomorrow!].”
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Lord Jesus, please help me to learn the ways that You want me to give up something today so that I can receive something from You tomorrow…
Lord Jesus, please help me to learn the ways that You want me to give up something today so that I can receive something from You tomorrow…
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