What does Jesus mean by ‘deny yourself’?

And the Lord is saying here, ‘lay down your desires’, surrender our will, our preferences so that He can work through us. It’s a call to radical discipleship. Stop living for your own selfish desires and live a life of surrender to God’s will and to prioritize following the Lord Jesus over our own personal safety, comfort, and ambition. ‘Deny yourself’ is such an intentional daily decision. Step away from being the centre of one’s own life to renounce selfish desires, personal ambition, and self-centeredness in order to align with God’s will.

Tony Pearce