Taking Up Your Cross
9/28/2024
"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'”
- Matthew 16:24 (NIV)
When Jesus spoke these words, He wasn’t offering an easy invitation. He called His followers to live a life of surrender and self-denial. In this verse, Jesus speaks of two critical actions that define true discipleship: denying ourselves and taking up our cross.
To deny yourself means to put aside your personal desires, ambitions, and comforts for the sake of God's will. It’s about prioritizing God's purpose over our own preferences. It's not that our desires are unimportant, but we recognize that living for Christ means submitting everything to Him.
Taking up our cross is a metaphor for embracing sacrifice and endurance in our walk with Christ. In Jesus' day, the cross was a symbol of suffering and death. For us, it means being willing to follow Christ, even when it costs us something, whether that’s comfort, reputation, or personal ambition.
Let me share a few practical things we can all do to achieve this.
Denying Our Personal Comforts
Maybe you’ve planned a weekend of rest and relaxation, but a friend calls and needs help moving. Denying yourself in that moment might mean putting your plans aside and serving your friend. You are laying down your comfort for the sake of showing love.
Choosing Integrity at Work
At work, you may be faced with an ethical dilemma, I sure know I have experienced that. Perhaps you're tempted to cut corners or take a shortcut to get ahead. Maybe you are being asked to do something that you know is wrong. Denying yourself means doing what’s right even if it delays your promotion or recognition, or even termination. You are taking up your cross when you choose to follow Christ’s path of integrity, even if it’s the harder road.
Loving the Difficult People
There may be someone in your life who is hard to love, someone who drains your energy or frustrates you. Taking up your cross here might look like offering patience and grace, continuing to show Christ-like love to them even when it's uncomfortable.
Today, ask God to show you how you can deny yourself and take up your cross in your everyday life. Is there an area where you're holding on to your own desires or resisting sacrifice? Trust that as you follow Him, He will give you the strength and grace to walk in His footsteps.
Lord, help me to deny myself and take up my cross daily as I follow You. Give me the courage to choose Your way over mine and to embrace the sacrifices that come with being Your disciple. Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'”
- Matthew 16:24 (NIV)
When Jesus spoke these words, He wasn’t offering an easy invitation. He called His followers to live a life of surrender and self-denial. In this verse, Jesus speaks of two critical actions that define true discipleship: denying ourselves and taking up our cross.
To deny yourself means to put aside your personal desires, ambitions, and comforts for the sake of God's will. It’s about prioritizing God's purpose over our own preferences. It's not that our desires are unimportant, but we recognize that living for Christ means submitting everything to Him.
Taking up our cross is a metaphor for embracing sacrifice and endurance in our walk with Christ. In Jesus' day, the cross was a symbol of suffering and death. For us, it means being willing to follow Christ, even when it costs us something, whether that’s comfort, reputation, or personal ambition.
Let me share a few practical things we can all do to achieve this.
Denying Our Personal Comforts
Maybe you’ve planned a weekend of rest and relaxation, but a friend calls and needs help moving. Denying yourself in that moment might mean putting your plans aside and serving your friend. You are laying down your comfort for the sake of showing love.
Choosing Integrity at Work
At work, you may be faced with an ethical dilemma, I sure know I have experienced that. Perhaps you're tempted to cut corners or take a shortcut to get ahead. Maybe you are being asked to do something that you know is wrong. Denying yourself means doing what’s right even if it delays your promotion or recognition, or even termination. You are taking up your cross when you choose to follow Christ’s path of integrity, even if it’s the harder road.
Loving the Difficult People
There may be someone in your life who is hard to love, someone who drains your energy or frustrates you. Taking up your cross here might look like offering patience and grace, continuing to show Christ-like love to them even when it's uncomfortable.
Today, ask God to show you how you can deny yourself and take up your cross in your everyday life. Is there an area where you're holding on to your own desires or resisting sacrifice? Trust that as you follow Him, He will give you the strength and grace to walk in His footsteps.
Lord, help me to deny myself and take up my cross daily as I follow You. Give me the courage to choose Your way over mine and to embrace the sacrifices that come with being Your disciple. Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
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