Friday, September 4, 2009

Discipleship

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Matthew 16:24

Hard words... but two things I have found to be true when we "deny" self:
  1. We open ourselves up to the Lord's provision and blessing in our lives. Rather than conspiring and striving to get what we want, when we deny self and follow Christ, He takes care of our needs--then we find that His blessings are better than anything we could hope to achieve for ourselves.
  2. The focus moves off ourselves to others and we are more likely to be conduits of blessing to the people God puts in our path. When God does bless us (which is everyday), we see those blessings as opportunities to bless others, rather than stockpiling them for ourselves.

1 comment:

Cherie Hop said...

hi Denhartogs!!!!!! Hope your visit back to the States was great! LeighAnn, the afternoon tea was truely delightful hearing you talk about what your family is doing. I hear Alexandro has moved back with his father, I will continue praying for him! Is there another boy who needs special prayers daily?? I can do that! Cherie