What is most interesting to me on my first day back to normal life is the extra energy it takes for me to find joy.
On the trail, the dumbest of jokes, the tiniest act of kindness, or the smallest amount of comfort always lifted my spirits. But here in the life that we all consider “normal”, I experience less joy because I am denied no comforts. I experience less peace because my worries are artificial. I experience less love because I rarely deny myself.
Ironically, in the midst of plenty, I experience not thankfulness, but fullness. And not the sort of fullness that Jesus offers — not the sort that satisfies — but a fullness that leaves me feeling empty, unsure of what else I could possibly acquire to make me more comfortable. It’s a fullness, I think, that needs to be quenched in order to experience the fullness that God offers.
There is a genuine experience of God’s fullness when we deny ourselves.
So how can we deny ourselves in our everyday lives. Here are a few ideas to wrestle with.
1. Live more frugally so that we can help those who need help without expecting anything in return.
2. Give grace to people who are inconsistent, irritating, or frustrating to us.
3. In exercise, push ourselves to an uncomfortable level.
4. Invite someone over for dinner, sacrificing an evening to spread a little love.
5. Follow through on those plans you would really like to cancel on.
6. Tell someone how much you appreciate their influence in your life.
7. Stop looking in the mirror.
