losing oneself in God...

True self-denial is losing one's self in God.

Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:

Man, absorbed from morning till evening in his occupations which engage his every attention to the things of the earth and of self interest, remains intoxicated.

Seldom there are moments in his life, brought about by pain or suffering, when he experiences a state of mind which can be called soberness.

Hindus call this state of mind sat, which is a state of tranquility.

Man then begins to become conscious of some part of his being which he finds to have almost covered his eyes.

When we look at life from this point of view we find that an individual who claims to be a living being is not necessarily living a full life.

It is only a realization of inner life which at every moment unveils the soul, and brings before man another aspect of life in which he finds fullness, a greater satisfaction, and a rest which gives true peace.

Can he speak about this to his fellow men?

And if he does, what can he say? Can he say, 'I am purer,' or 'more exalted than you' or 'I understand life better than you?' As life unfolds itself to man the first lesson it teaches is humility; the first thing that comes to man's vision is his own limitedness.

The vaster God appears to him, the smaller he finds himself.

This goes on and on until the moment comes when he loses himself in the vision of God.

In terms of the Sufis this is called fana, and it is this process that was taught by Christ under the name of self-denial.

Often man interprets this teaching wrongly and considers renunciation as self-denial.

He thinks that the teaching is to renounce all that is in the world.

But although that is a way and an important step which leads to true self-denial, the self-denial meant is the losing oneself in God.