Day 20 : Denial

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

So much for prosperity Gospel.

Jesus never promised us Heaven on Earth – why would he?  We have the real thing waiting for us.  Instead he warned us that life would be hard.

Today we are on day 20 of our 40 days of lent – assuming you are counting the same way I am – and are half-way through.  20 down, 20 to go. 

We have spent the last three weeks focused on denying ourselves, so I thought today would be a good time to remind ourselves why. 

Jesus tells us to deny ourselves, and take up our cross daily.  He didn’t say we need to seek out crosses, but the world will provide us with more than enough.  During lent particularly, we deny ourselves, not for our own sake or glory, but so that we can follow in his way.  The way of the cross.