by Pastor David
Matthew 16:24 — “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”
I have to admit, I was starting to grow concerned. After just two Christmases celebrations--one with our little family and another with my wife’s—my son's gift count was racking up. Don't get me wrong. I'm not against gifts. But when a 4-year-old boy has more presents than King Solomon following his visitation from the Queen of Sheba, one should be worried.
What's more, each gift seemed to feed this notion within my son that happiness lay just beneath the wrapping paper of the next brightly-colored present.
On the one hand, I was happy for him. I would have loved a haul like that at his age. On the other, I longed to teach him that happiness isn't found in the things of this world. And since stopping our family from gift-giving would be like singlehandedly stopping the flow of the Mississippi River with a canoe paddle, I knew I needed outside help. So I prayed.
Have you ever prayed about something only to be surprised when God answered? I was. It's not that I doubted God's ability to speak. I guess I just wasn't prepared for how quickly He would answer. He did with this simple thought, "Just make sure he hears the word, 'No,' too."
In a world that eats, breathes, and lives self-indulgence, that's a tough sell. Why withhold something if it's within your power to obtain it? But as I reflected on God’s truth, it occurred to me that there are seasons when we should say, “No.” Not only to our 4-year-old boy, but also to ourselves.
When we fall into the trap of thinking happiness lies just beneath the wrapping paper of the next Jeep, or dream vacation, or cell phone, aren't we guilty of the sin of ingratitude?
Just because we can afford something, doesn’t necessitate buying it. Just because we can participate in an activity, doesn't mean we should. Just because self-indulgence is an option, doesn't make it healthy. Sometimes we need to tell ourselves, "No." If for no other reason than to teach our flesh that things of this world don't offer lasting contentment.
In Matthew 16, Jesus said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Notice it doesn’t say, “You need to be prepared for those season when I tell you, 'No.'" Just the opposite. Christ instructed His followers that they needed to deny themselves. They needed to choose to say, "No."
I think that's why times of prayer and fasting are so important. We need seasons in which we say, "No," to ourselves and, "Yes," to what God wants for our lives. Every now and again, just like my 4-year-old son, we need reminded that happiness isn't found in the next things this world has to offer...
In a strange way, I'm excited about telling Pastor David's flesh, "No," this month. Do I want to go without? Not really. But maybe, just maybe, in going without, I might find what I've been unknowingly yearning for all along--God Himself.