We can all agree that it's easy to get caught up in the difficulty of denying ourselves. Some can't even get past it, so they give up before they even begin to learn how to do it. So what if today was different? What if today you focused on the outcome of self denial; the benefits that far outweigh the difficulties.

For example: you commit to denying yourself of the time spent watching TV for the week. Which, amazingly, means you added a whole hour, or three, to your day. You have the ability to go through your Bible with care, and actually have time to really come before the Lord in prayer. It's concentrated prayer for your family and the ones you love. This, inevitably, makes you feel more intimacy with God and gives you peace you didn't even realize you were lacking.

Maybe one evening you engage your kids in a meaningful conversation that you never could have planned, but one that just happened, because all the noise in the background was gone.

Then one night as you're finishing mowing the lawn, you realize you have time to mow your neighbors' lawn. The one who just lost her husband, and you can't get over how amazing it feels to bless someone in the smallest of ways.

As you consider the dramatically different turn your week has taken, you realize this all started with a simple, difficult decision to deny yourself.

It's so worth it! You can't always see or know the blessings that will come to you on the front end of obedience and surrender. So dive in. Trust God to do immeasurably more than anything you could imagine. Let Him work in you and show you things you have never seen before.