Take Up Your Cross, And Follow Me

Luke 9:23

New International Version (NIV)

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

As I have read "crazy love", "Forgotten God,and taught "follow me" to students, God has revealed to me little by little what it really means to "take up the cross"... living radically changed.

I think in our day to day lives, when the littlest thing goes wrong such as, our car running out of gas, our family dog dying, an angry customer at work, etc. we think that by us "getting trough the day" without throwing a fit is "taking up the cross" and a sacrifice. Which in some cases is, but that's not as sacrificial as having to "love" people who cheat you, "loving" someone who wants to kill you. "forgiving" someone molested you as a child. "Forgiving" the rapist. "Trusting" God ,when you lose your home, your family, your spouse... everything. That is more sacrificial, don't you think?? 

Taking up the cross and following Him means letting the Holy Spirit guide you... surrendering... repenting from your sin..turning away and literally "follow Him".

In today's society(including myself), we tend to get caught up in our fast pace daily lives and "fit" God into our lives. In reality, He is our life... He made us.... He is our air, our spirit, why we are living. And we proceed to say
                                " Jesus, do you want to join the party of my life with this sin, my addictions, this destructive relationship, and we'll  just coexist together??" As if we are asking Him to bless our sins.

Instead of (what it should be):
                    " Jesus, You are the best thing that has happened to me!! I want to turn from all sin and selfishness that rules me. I want to let it go and walk in You! ONLY YOU. You  are my life now. Help me walk away from the enslaving, worthless things in life."
See the difference??  Centering your life around Him.

It doesn't take a great power and forgiveness to get over an angry customer at work, to control road rage, not to cuss, or to simply make it to church on time.

But it takes full abandonment and the Holy Spirit to forgive the molester, the murderer, the cheater, the people who hate you and God. It takes the Holy Spirit to overcome your depression, your anxiety, your alcohol addiction, drug addiction, your insecurity, your lack of trust...It takes a higher power stronger than us to do that. 

Here is a perfect demonstration of His resurrection: 

2 Corinthians 4:7-11
New International Version (NIV)

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.


We are molded by Him are
 " Hard pressed on every side,but not crushed; 
perplexed,but not in despair;
persecuted,but not abandoned; 
struck down,but not destroyed."

It's hard to follow Him(He knows that), but it's so rewarding just being able to serve Him! 
I am humbled by the fact that He made me, understands my sin, died for it and rose again so the Holy spirit could guide me in my life, counsel me and free me from my sinful self. How awesome?! And not only that but the Holy spirit is in ALL followers of Christ!

Following Christ isn't just saying a prayer
    " Jesus, come into my heart", It's saying , God i surrender, I don't want to be controlled by my sin, I embrace your gift to me by paying for my sins and I want to live radically changed for you. Lead me, and I will follow.

Living in sin is like being a billionaire, and instead going out into the streets living homeless from garbage can to garbage can , the money untouched. 
We are wealthy in Him, our debt is paid. Stop fighting a fight that's already been won and follow. 
 We don't "accept Jesus" as our Savior... He's the one who accepts us (we are the sinners)... we "embrace" Him!
It's all or nothing. What do you chose?I want to God to use me like Moses, Noah, Abraham, Esther & David in this century... I want to make a difference for His glory,don't you??

 God calls us to take up our cross. A cross symbolizes something heaving and difficult to carry like in the picture. Following Christ isn't always the easiest thing to do, but it is definitely worth it in the end. Ask God to strengthen our backs instead of asking to make it lighter.