Denying Yourself

A friend of mine asked me last week for my thoughts in response to these questions:

How would you explain the concept of "denying yourself" to teens?
What does denying ourselves look like today?
What is it not?

In thinking about this, my first response is that "denying yourself" is living a life filled with intentional choices to curb your natural wants and desires in order to make the world a better place for others.

One way this works is by giving not of our excess, but out of our need. what I mean by this is that I think Jesus changed the standard from the Old Testament 10% to a New Testament standard of giving until it changes how you live. Or looked at from the positive side of things, changing how you live in order to give.

I think it might be a little easier to address with adults who have jobs, budgets and direct-deposit paychecks. With teenagers who might or might not have a job, it's hard to decide what that looks like.

Maybe it's giving hope to a child across the world through compassion international. (little more than $30 a month) or by pooling $ with your friends, pulling down a carload of $1 menu food and heading out to feed homeless with a meal they might really appreciate more than a cold ham sandwich and power-bar.

I don't know if any of that helps, but it's what's on my mind right now.