We live in a culture obsessed with self – self-care, self-expression, self-promotion. While there’s value in understanding and caring for ourselves, the Christian life calls us to something radically different: self-denial.

Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” That’s not a popular message. It confronts our desires, our plans, and even our identities.

Following Jesus means dying to our own will so we can embrace His. It means saying “no” to things that feel good but lead us away from Him. It means loving people who are hard to love, serving when we’d rather rest, and forgiving when it hurts.

This kind of life is costly – but it leads to true joy. Jesus also said in Matthew 10:39, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” The more we surrender to Him, the more alive we become.

In a world that says, “be true to yourself,” Jesus says, “be transformed by Me.” In a time when personal freedom is celebrated above all, Jesus invites us into the freedom of obedience.

Living this way won’t win us applause. It may even cost us friendships, comfort, or status. But it will give us something far greater: intimacy with God, clarity of purpose, and the deep satisfaction of a life that truly matters.

Let’s choose the narrow path – not because it’s easy, but because it leads to life.