diff --git a/packages/reacord/library/core/instance-context.tsx b/packages/reacord/library/core/instance-context.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..da1237f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/reacord/library/core/instance-context.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import * as React from "react"
+import { raise } from "../../helpers/raise"
+import type { ReacordInstance } from "./instance"
+
+const Context = React.createContext<ReacordInstance | undefined>(undefined)
+
+export const InstanceProvider = Context.Provider
+
+/**
+ * Get the associated instance for the current component.
+ *
+ * @category Core
+ * @see https://reacord.fly.dev/guides/use-instance
+ */
+export function useInstance(): ReacordInstance {
+  return (
+    React.useContext(Context) ??
+    raise("Could not find instance, was this component rendered via Reacord?")
+  )
+}
diff --git a/packages/reacord/library/core/reacord.ts b/packages/reacord/library/core/reacord.tsx
similarity index 85%
rename from packages/reacord/library/core/reacord.ts
rename to packages/reacord/library/core/reacord.tsx
index b1de60c..d402ffe 100644
--- a/packages/reacord/library/core/reacord.ts
+++ b/packages/reacord/library/core/reacord.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import type { ReactNode } from "react"
+import React from "react"
 import type { ComponentInteraction } from "../internal/interaction"
 import { reconciler } from "../internal/reconciler.js"
 import type { Renderer } from "../internal/renderers/renderer"
 import type { ReacordInstance } from "./instance"
+import { InstanceProvider } from "./instance-context"
 
 /**
  * @category Core
@@ -47,13 +49,12 @@ export abstract class Reacord {
 
     const container = reconciler.createContainer(renderer, 0, false, {})
 
-    if (initialContent !== undefined) {
-      reconciler.updateContainer(initialContent, container)
-    }
-
-    return {
+    const instance: ReacordInstance = {
       render: (content: ReactNode) => {
-        reconciler.updateContainer(content, container)
+        reconciler.updateContainer(
+          <InstanceProvider value={instance}>{content}</InstanceProvider>,
+          container,
+        )
       },
       deactivate: () => {
         this.deactivate(renderer)
@@ -63,6 +64,12 @@ export abstract class Reacord {
         renderer.destroy()
       },
     }
+
+    if (initialContent !== undefined) {
+      instance.render(initialContent)
+    }
+
+    return instance
   }
 
   private deactivate(renderer: Renderer) {
diff --git a/packages/reacord/library/main.ts b/packages/reacord/library/main.ts
index 536d7c6..8ae77f1 100644
--- a/packages/reacord/library/main.ts
+++ b/packages/reacord/library/main.ts
@@ -13,5 +13,6 @@ export * from "./core/components/link"
 export * from "./core/components/option"
 export * from "./core/components/select"
 export * from "./core/instance"
+export { useInstance } from "./core/instance-context"
 export * from "./core/reacord"
 export * from "./core/reacord-discord-js"
diff --git a/packages/reacord/package.json b/packages/reacord/package.json
index 1ec2a59..c7027f3 100644
--- a/packages/reacord/package.json
+++ b/packages/reacord/package.json
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     "test": "vitest --coverage --no-watch",
     "test-dev": "vitest",
     "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",
-    "playground": "nodemon --exec esmo --ext ts,tsx ./playground/main.tsx",
+    "playground": "nodemon --exec esmo --ext ts,tsx --inspect=5858 --enable-source-maps ./playground/main.tsx",
     "release": "release-it"
   },
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/reacord/playground/main.tsx b/packages/reacord/playground/main.tsx
index b16b72f..2e3492d 100644
--- a/packages/reacord/playground/main.tsx
+++ b/packages/reacord/playground/main.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Client } from "discord.js"
 import "dotenv/config"
 import React from "react"
-import { Button, ReacordDiscordJs } from "../library/main"
+import { Button, ReacordDiscordJs, useInstance } from "../library/main"
 import { createCommandHandler } from "./command-handler"
 import { Counter } from "./counter"
 import { FruitSelect } from "./fruit-select"
@@ -93,6 +93,17 @@ createCommandHandler(client, [
       )
     },
   },
+  {
+    name: "delete-this",
+    description: "delete this",
+    run: (interaction) => {
+      function DeleteThis() {
+        const instance = useInstance()
+        return <Button label="delete this" onClick={() => instance.destroy()} />
+      }
+      reacord.reply(interaction, <DeleteThis />)
+    },
+  },
 ])
 
 await client.login(process.env.TEST_BOT_TOKEN)
diff --git a/packages/reacord/test/use-instance.test.tsx b/packages/reacord/test/use-instance.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..998ae9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/reacord/test/use-instance.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import React from "react"
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest"
+import type { ReacordInstance } from "../library/main"
+import { Button, useInstance } from "../library/main"
+import type { MessageSample } from "./test-adapter"
+import { ReacordTester } from "./test-adapter"
+
+describe("useInstance", () => {
+  it("returns the instance of itself", async () => {
+    let instanceFromHook: ReacordInstance | undefined
+
+    function TestComponent({ name }: { name: string }) {
+      const instance = useInstance()
+      instanceFromHook ??= instance
+      return (
+        <>
+          <Button
+            label={`create ${name}`}
+            onClick={(event) => {
+              event.reply(<TestComponent name="child" />)
+            }}
+          />
+          <Button
+            label={`destroy ${name}`}
+            onClick={() => instance.destroy()}
+          />
+        </>
+      )
+    }
+
+    function messageOutput(name: string): MessageSample {
+      return {
+        content: "",
+        embeds: [],
+        actionRows: [
+          [
+            {
+              type: "button",
+              label: `create ${name}`,
+              style: "secondary",
+            },
+            {
+              type: "button",
+              label: `destroy ${name}`,
+              style: "secondary",
+            },
+          ],
+        ],
+      }
+    }
+
+    const tester = new ReacordTester()
+    const instance = tester.send(<TestComponent name="parent" />)
+
+    await tester.assertMessages([messageOutput("parent")])
+    expect(instanceFromHook).toBe(instance)
+
+    tester.findButtonByLabel("create parent").click()
+    await tester.assertMessages([
+      messageOutput("parent"),
+      messageOutput("child"),
+    ])
+
+    // this test ensures that the only the child instance is destroyed,
+    // and not the parent instance
+    tester.findButtonByLabel("destroy child").click()
+    await tester.assertMessages([messageOutput("parent")])
+
+    tester.findButtonByLabel("destroy parent").click()
+    await tester.assertMessages([])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/website/app/routes/guides/use-instance.md b/packages/website/app/routes/guides/use-instance.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e47f9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/website/app/routes/guides/use-instance.md
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+---
+meta:
+  title: useInstance
+  description: Using useInstance to get the current instance within a component
+---
+
+# useInstance
+
+You can use `useInstance` to get the current instance within a component. This can be used to let a component destroy or deactivate itself.
+
+```jsx
+import { Button, useInstance } from "reacord"
+
+function SelfDestruct() {
+  const instance = useInstance()
+  return (
+    <Button
+      style="danger"
+      label="delete this"
+      onClick={() => instance.destroy()}
+    />
+  )
+}
+
+reacord.send(channelId, <SelfDestruct />)
+```