Cheerfulness in Self-Denial

Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  Matthew 16:24

What are the great things required of those that will be Christ's disciples:  If any man will come--if any man be willing to come.  It denotes a deliberate choice and cheerfulness and resolution in that choice.  Many are disciples more by chance or the will of others than by any act of their own will; but Christ will have his people volunteers.

Let him deny himself.  Peter had advised Christ to spare himself, and would be ready, in the like case, to take the advice; but Christ tells them all they must be so far from sparing themselves, that they must deny themselves.  Herein they must come after Christ, for His birth, and life, and death, were all a continued act of self-denial, a self-emptying.

If self-denial be a hard lesson, and against the grain to flesh and blood, it is no more than what our Master learned and practiced before us and for us, both for our redemption and for our instruction; and the servant is not above his lord.

All the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ must deny themselves.  It is necessary in order to our learning all the other good lessons that are there taught.  We must deny ourselves absolutely, we must not admire our own shadow, nor gratify our own humour; we must not lean to our own understanding, nor seek our own things, nor be our own end.

We must deny ourselves comparatively; we must deny ourselves for Christ, and His will and glory, and the service of His interest in the world.  We must deny ourselves for our brethren, and for their good; and we must deny ourselves for ourselves, deny the appetites of the body for the benefit of the soul.  (Matthew Henry)

Okay--get the mental picture of someone whipping themselves out of your head.  There is a lot of denying going on here; but notice that we are to do this with cheerfulness and a resolution --according to M. Henry.  I was not drafted into service for Christ; I came willingly--although at the time not really comprehending what this Christian life means. 

I am beginning to realize that the key to peace lies in giving up "me" and letting Christ fill those areas that I choose to give up.