A Greater "Yes"
By Ryan Dawson
We live in a culture than does not like self-denial. We tend to want what we want when we want it. We want instant gratification and our expectation for efficiency and satisfaction in regard to customer service is telling. We are more self-absorbed then we like to admit and I am more self-centred than I like to acknowledge. But should we really be surprised as in so many ways we are a product of our times. Our culture reinforces the values of self-autonomy, comfort as king, and the avoidance of pain. This is one of the reasons why the Gospel, displayed in the cross is so counter-cultural. This is why the message of Jesus can chaff us and seem so incongruent to our personal aspirations. But we cannot deny what the Lord has told us, and we ignore it to our peril:
Matthew 16:24-26 (NLT) “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
Jesus speaks of the cross as the image for “dying to your own way”, in the way that a criminal condemned to death by crucifixion understands that his life is now over. If you are carrying your cross you are walking to your imminent death, for life, as you know is over. You are in essence now dead to your hopes, dreams, and aspirations. This is a provocative and challenging truth that we must take to heart. To be a Christian is to take up the way of self-renunciation. It is to acknowledge that to follow Jesus we must deny our own appetites for autonomy, comfort, and fulfillment, which we deem “life” for us, and instead, look to Christ to redefine the definition of true life for us.
But this is not some exercise in self-abasement, where we use will power to become more spiritual. The way of the cross is the way of surrender to the loving leadership of Christ. The way of the cross is recognizing that our Good and Perfect King gave His life so that we can be forgiven, made right, infused with resurrection power through the Holy Spirit, and given a new hope and destiny centred in the person of Jesus. When we acknowledge this truth and embrace it we find that in dying to self we truly find more Life than we could ever have imagined.
The season of Lent, the 40 days of preparation leading up to Holy Week (Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday), helps us take time to reflect on these truths. I want to encourage you in this season to take time each day reflecting on the gift given to you in Christ. There are some excellent Lent devotionals on the free You Version Bible App that you will find helpful. Simply search using “Lent” and you will find a variety of insightful devotionals. You can even invite some friends or family members to join you in your reading and reflection.
The Season of Lent is a gift to us, and one we very much need in our day. As my friend and writer Phil Reinders says: “The spare and sober nature of Lent is healthy for the heart and true to the gospel, scrubbing away frothy spirituality by calling us to say no to ourselves in order to experience a greater yes in Jesus. It helps to imprint the form of the cross in our lives, recognizing that the news of the risen Lord Jesus is not good without the way of the cross. Lent prepares us to experience the reality of the resurrection joy only by first recognizing the depth of our sin that pinned Christ to the cross.” (Philip F. Reinders, Seeking God’s Face) Seeing the cross more fully only magnifies the grace we have been given in Christ, causing us to overflow with gratitude and praise to the One who gave His life to give us ours.
I invite you to join me in saying “no” to self to experience a greater “yes” in Christ as we journey through Lent.
For Christ and Kingdom, Ryan
We live in a culture than does not like self-denial. We tend to want what we want when we want it. We want instant gratification and our expectation for efficiency and satisfaction in regard to customer service is telling. We are more self-absorbed then we like to admit and I am more self-centred than I like to acknowledge. But should we really be surprised as in so many ways we are a product of our times. Our culture reinforces the values of self-autonomy, comfort as king, and the avoidance of pain. This is one of the reasons why the Gospel, displayed in the cross is so counter-cultural. This is why the message of Jesus can chaff us and seem so incongruent to our personal aspirations. But we cannot deny what the Lord has told us, and we ignore it to our peril:
Matthew 16:24-26 (NLT) “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
Jesus speaks of the cross as the image for “dying to your own way”, in the way that a criminal condemned to death by crucifixion understands that his life is now over. If you are carrying your cross you are walking to your imminent death, for life, as you know is over. You are in essence now dead to your hopes, dreams, and aspirations. This is a provocative and challenging truth that we must take to heart. To be a Christian is to take up the way of self-renunciation. It is to acknowledge that to follow Jesus we must deny our own appetites for autonomy, comfort, and fulfillment, which we deem “life” for us, and instead, look to Christ to redefine the definition of true life for us.
But this is not some exercise in self-abasement, where we use will power to become more spiritual. The way of the cross is the way of surrender to the loving leadership of Christ. The way of the cross is recognizing that our Good and Perfect King gave His life so that we can be forgiven, made right, infused with resurrection power through the Holy Spirit, and given a new hope and destiny centred in the person of Jesus. When we acknowledge this truth and embrace it we find that in dying to self we truly find more Life than we could ever have imagined.
The season of Lent, the 40 days of preparation leading up to Holy Week (Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday), helps us take time to reflect on these truths. I want to encourage you in this season to take time each day reflecting on the gift given to you in Christ. There are some excellent Lent devotionals on the free You Version Bible App that you will find helpful. Simply search using “Lent” and you will find a variety of insightful devotionals. You can even invite some friends or family members to join you in your reading and reflection.
The Season of Lent is a gift to us, and one we very much need in our day. As my friend and writer Phil Reinders says: “The spare and sober nature of Lent is healthy for the heart and true to the gospel, scrubbing away frothy spirituality by calling us to say no to ourselves in order to experience a greater yes in Jesus. It helps to imprint the form of the cross in our lives, recognizing that the news of the risen Lord Jesus is not good without the way of the cross. Lent prepares us to experience the reality of the resurrection joy only by first recognizing the depth of our sin that pinned Christ to the cross.” (Philip F. Reinders, Seeking God’s Face) Seeing the cross more fully only magnifies the grace we have been given in Christ, causing us to overflow with gratitude and praise to the One who gave His life to give us ours.
I invite you to join me in saying “no” to self to experience a greater “yes” in Christ as we journey through Lent.
For Christ and Kingdom, Ryan