It’s good and proper for us to make plans about how we want to live and serve God in this world. But our plans must be regulated and controlled by the truths of God’s Word. He is the King, and so we must live in a way that pleases him. That means we should regularly stop to ask ourselves some important questions:
Are my goals and ambitions in keeping with Jesus’ commandments? It’s all very well to want to live in a nice house, but is it worth the extra hours at work that keep you from your family and maybe even prevent you from coming to worship or being involved at church?
How does Jesus want me to be a husband to my wife?
How does Jesus want me to be a sister to my brother?
How does Jesus want me to spend me leisure time?
How does Jesus want me to use my money?
Self-denial is not about giving up chocolate, forsaking marriage, or donating all your wealth and living in poverty. It's about recognizing that Jesus is King and that you belong to him. It’s about allowing Jesus to determine what is right and wrong for you.
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.