Deny Yourself

“Whoever wishes to come after me, must deny himself...” Mark 8:34

Deny yourself. That seems like a bad word in these times when some people applaud the idea of killing a baby just to get an Oscar award one day. This is the age of entitlement and self-fulfillment. It comes with an arrogance believing one deserves certain privileges. 

A.J. Cronin wrote that there are two freedoms. The false freedom is where one is free to do what he likes. The true freedom is where one is free to do what he ought. Thomas à Kempis, author of “The Imitation of Christ” wrote in the 15th century, “Unless thou deny thyself, thou shalt not have perfect liberty.” 

Character can’t be built without self- discipline. Great talent cannot bloom without a lot of self-denial. Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a well known pianist who also became the Prime Minister of Poland and signed the Treaty of Versailles ending World War I, once said, “Before I was a master, I was a slave.”

When Henry Sy Sr. passed away, the Chairman of SM Investments reported, “The succession was smooth, as if nothing happened; there was not even a ripple. Henry Sy Sr. and his wife Felicidad Tan Sy had raised six Henry Sys in their six children. They are all hardworking, simple-living, peace-loving and God-fearing people. They do not drive Mercedes-Benz or luxury cars, because the late Henry Sy also didn’t drive luxury cars.”

Lent will be upon us next week. What kind of freedom do we want? If we want the true freedom where we are free to do what we ought to do, we should test ourselves if we are able to deny ourselves of our excesses. Too much time wasted. Too much money spent on ourselves. Too much selfishness and selfies and self-centeredness. Too much news overload. Too much busyness and rushing around. Let us learn to slow down, deny ourselves of our excesses and listen to God’s still small voice. Wait for Him, He will speak.