Denying Self
“Then Jesus said to His disciples,
‘If anyone wishes to come after Me,
he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it;
but whoever lose his life for My sake will find it.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?
Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels,
and will then repay every man according to his deeds.’”
Matthew 16:24-27
Start at the end. “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels.” That should be our first motivation. Keep an eternal perspective. Yes, we must work and play and live life, but it should be done with the knowledge that in the end, Jesus is coming! How will Jesus sum up your life when it is over? Will He say that you were His? That you followed His calling and that you trusted Him? That doesn’t mean that everyone has to be a missionary or a pastor. It does mean that when you hear Jesus’ voice, are you obedient? He may be calling you to a certain profession, or for a one time smile or word of encouragement to someone. Are you listening and willing to go and do as He directs?