²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:24 CSB)

What does it mean to deny ourselves?

It seems a simple and straightforward enough word; to deny. But I am hesitant to say that we truly know what the word means.

In fact our society does not seem to have a definition for it at all. Everything we are about is more, more, more. There is no satisfied, there is only want for more.

I have written about this many times, and I put myself in the same category when it comes to want. While in some areas of my life I have learned to be satisfied, in many others I too just look for more. I am trying to learn that what scripture tells us is that we are to live a life of abundance. But not in the way we think. Our abundant life begins and ends in Christ.

The abundant life is, as our scripture today says, “”let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

This is a life where we are living abundantly not through more, but often through less.

Maybe we need a life diet.