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Deny Yourself
I was recently watching a video interview of Elon Musk and Elon Musk was explaining how he doesn't even have a house that he lives in.
Isaiah 40:3, John 3:29-30
I was recently watching a video interview of Elon Musk and Elon Musk was explaining how he doesn’t even have a house that he lives, and he surfs on his friends couches and goes and stays in guest rooms at his friend’s houses. He explained that he travels around so much, he’s so intent on doing the work that he has and on all these things that he is taking care of, that he doesn’t have time for all these other things. The interviewer asked him, well, what about vacations? What about jet setting, doing all these things that rich and famous people do? And he explained, no, there’s far more important things that I want to be concerned about.
I appreciate that sentiment, and I think that speaks to an important characteristic of people. When you recognize that there’s something that’s far more important, you’re willing to deny yourself for that thing that is of greater importance, like Elon Musk claims to do.
I think we find a similarity here with that kind of attitude, with a character that we find in the Bible, John the Baptist. You remember John the Baptist. Here he was, he lived an extraordinary lifestyle. He forsook all luxuries, all comforts. He had a camel hair tunic. He lived off of a diet of grasshoppers and wild honey. Why? Because he felt driven to do something that is of greater importance. And what is that? Well, he knew that he had this very specific job from God to prepare the way of the Lord to make straight paths for the coming Messiah. (Isaiah 40:3)
John was one who was willing to deny himself for something that’s more important. And that, of course, was his Savior, Jesus. You remember later on, John would famously point his own disciples to Jesus and say, don’t worry about me. He must increase, I must decrease. (John 3:29-30)
In the season of advent. As we are preparing our hearts for our Lord to come, we are encouraged to have this same kind of drive and heart and attitude as John the Baptist, to see that our own personal comforts and luxuries really aren’t that important. What’s more important is the fact that we have a Savior who is coming into the world. This is what we are devoting ourselves to and what we are focusing on in this season. We have a Savior who is coming to rescue us, who is living for us, who’s going to the cross to pay for our sins, this one who would rise from the dead so that we will in fact have all the comforts, all the joys, all the happiness that God could possibly give to us in heaven.
This is a season where we, like John, are willing to say, it’s not about me, it’s about him. In this advent season. Be encouraged to turn your heart to Jesus. See that he is of most, of greatest importance. I encourage you to deny yourself, I too deny myself, and put our hope, our trust in this wonderful gift of our Savior. God’s peace be with you.
