We live in a great country.  It is not, however, without its flaws.  From a moral and spiritual standpoint, it leaves a lot to be desired.  Yes, we have religious freedom, which is not a small benefit for a country to have, but the freedom that we possess often leads to licentiousness.  As a country, we have become very hedonistic.  Everything is about personal pleasure, individual rights, and whatever brings us happiness.  Whatever we want, we believe we have an inherent right to possess, and anything that stands in the way of personal rights is un-American.

Christians, however, live by a higher standard.  Our standard is Christ and His gospel.  It is a standard that, rather than personal rights and pleasure, demands self-denial.  

Matthew 16:24 (ESV)
²⁴  Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Paul demonstrated this kind of living throughout his life as a Christian.  Instead of demanding that his personal rights always be honored, he willingly gave up those rights for the benefit of others, and the furtherance of the cause of Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:19-20 (ESV)
¹⁹  For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. ²⁰  To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews…”

Paul had the right to do things that used to be outlawed by Judaism (like eating all kinds of meat), that he would forego if it meant winning a Jew to Christ.  When trying to convert Jews, he did not demand his personal right to eat meat be recognized, but rather, he simply refrained from eating meat that would offend the Jew.  He denied himself for the greater cause of winning souls to Christ.

Many immoral practices in this world come about because of a demand for personal rights.  Arguments for everything from abortion to same-sex marriage, are based on one’s personal rights.  While personal rights are, without question, important, they must be denied if they go against God’s law or prevent us from winning and strengthening the souls of others.

Self-denial involves not doing what we want to do sometimes, and at other times, doing what we do not want to do.  It even involves putting ourselves in harm’s way at times.  In Paul’s day, it involved preaching the gospel in hostile territory to win some to Christ.  Paul’s usual practice was to preach the gospel first to the Jews, often going into their synagogues to do it.  As a result, he frequently suffered great harm.  He was stoned, beaten, whipped, and ridiculed for the cause of Christ, and in doing so, he was following in the steps of Jesus.  He once said, “For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11).

Paul literally bore scars on his body, proving that he was willing to deny himself and suffer for Christ.  Today, self-denial is still very much needed.  We are not faced with physical harm, but sometimes we must still do what we do not want to do, and refrain from doing things that we desire.  We still must choose to put the cause of Christ before family and friends, and even personal rights and the temporary pleasures of the flesh.  Are you willing to deny yourselves?  

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.