“And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me'” (Luke 9:23).
This is a hard saying. Self-denial certainly does not come easily. When I remind myself throughout the workday to die to self, the focus immediately shifts to me.
- Let it go. It doesn’t matter in the long run.
- She just doesn’t understand the facts.
- My opinion is only one of many others.
If my attempt to “stay lower than myself” requires self-talk and rationalization, then perhaps I’ve missed the point of self-denial.
It’s not about me.
To stop thinking about me, I need to focus more on others. The simplest way to lower myself is to elevate the person with me.
I don’t need to do anything to myself other than focus on the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus leads me to others.
What a powerful leadership principle. Follow Jesus to raise up others.
