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What do you think of the words: "hate myself" as an expression of self denial before God?

"I hate myself" is a  rather strong language and I think what you are trying to say is that one should not rejoice in themselves but in the Lord.

We should not dislike ourselves, but at the same time, as you have suggested, our focus should not be entirely on ourselves either.

In his exile St. John Chrysostom wrote to Bishop Kyriakius:

"When I was exiled from the city I was not worried, but I said to myself:

If the empress desires to exile me, let her, for the earth is the Lord's.

If she would have me sawed, I see Isaiah as an example.

If she wants to drown me in the ocean, I will think of Jonah.

If she throws me in the fire, I will find the three young men who suffered in the furnace.

If she offered me to the wild beasts, I will remember Daniel in the lion's den.

If she demands my head, let her, for John the Baptist will shine before me."

St. John Chrysostom said to let nothing destroy our joy; but to always rejoice in the Lord. For neither Satan, poverty, loss of property nor even death itself could frighten or destroy his joy.

The church teaches us to be joyful. We do not attain joy by outer circumstances, which are always subject to change, but through an inner condition procured as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us.

In the Apostolic Age, The Church said one must have two essential inner characteristics, love and joy. With these two traits, we attract many to our beloved Church.

The Church was born as a joyful bride, rejoicing in worship (Acts 2:47), in hardships and bare necessities of life (Acts 2:46), fulfilling miracles (Acts 3:8,9) and even while suffering (Acts 5:41; 16:25).

If you will recall, those who had faith rejoiced after having been baptized. For example, the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:39) and the prison keeper and his family (Acts 16:34).

Suffering bears the consequences of joy for the Christian as well, "I now rejoice in my suffering for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His Body, which is the Church" (Colossians 1:24).