Fast 40: Practicing the Ancient Spiritual Discipline of Lentಮಾದರಿ

Self-denial is easier said than done. Some people know Christ has called them to deny themselves, to renounce their old life, but there is something within the Self that refuses to go away, and when they try to simply ignore it, they're continually surprised at its reappearance. Like a shadow, the Self seems to follow us wherever we go. So what can we do? How can we rid ourselves of this sinful Self?

Well, we must realize that self-denial is simply the first step in a series of steps toward discipleship. Jesus didn't only say, "deny yourself," but he added, "take up your cross."

The trouble with us is that we think Jesus took up our cross. He did not. Jesus bore his cross, and by doing so, he enabled us to bear our cross. The sinful Self cannot be sanctified; it can only be crucified. We are not told to dance around our sins or play some shell game to cover them up. We are told to take them by the neck, drag them into the light, and kill them. We must take our sins, our sufferings, our struggles, and our vices and nail them to the altar of the Cross, one by one.

It's a dirty business and quite painful to feel yourself squeal and squirm under the long death of inward mortification. But it's only through bearing our cross with Christ—through walking the Via Dolorosa—that we experience victory over the Self.

The truth is that self-denial is only accomplished by self-mortification, which brings us to a paradox in the Cross: the more we mortify the Self, the more we sanctify the Spirit.