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Episode 27: Does “Deny Yourself” Mean Your Needs Don’t Matter?

What does Jesus actually mean when He says to us “deny yourself”? For many Christians, that phrase can quietly become something much harsher: My needs don’t matter. Wanting to flourish is selfish. Taking care of myself is ungodly. Everyone else should always come first.

Timestamps:

00:00 — The Fear That Following God Means Less
02:29 — “Jesus, Others, Yourself”
03:40 — What If We’ve Misunderstood “Deny Yourself”?
05:09 — Flourishing in the Middle of Suffering
07:05 — Is Self-Interest Always Selfish?
08:25 — Are Christians Supposed to Be Miserable?
09:15 — Learning to Pay Attention to Your Needs
10:23 — When Self-Denial Actually Feeds the Ego
11:14 — What Is the Self Worth Dying To?
13:14 — Rethinking “Take Up Your Cross”
15:11 — Denying Ego vs. Denying Humanity
16:33 — Why Receiving Care Can Feel Selfish
18:09 — What Happens When You Become Your Own Solution
19:56 — Self-Care vs. Escape
21:05 — When the Heart Finds Somewhere Else to Feel Alive
22:25 — Jeff’s Golf Story: What Actually Replenishes You?
24:32 — What Healthy Self-Care Looks Like
25:01 — Jesus, Peter, and the Vulnerability of Being Served
27:10 — Denying Yourself Doesn’t Mean Denying Your Humanity