Take Up Your Cross Daily

It’s just a week since Good Friday and our remembering the great sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.  A week is a long time in any news cycle.  Our thoughts can move very quickly from what was riveting news to the next attention grabbing headline.

Our world is full of many troubles and the death and resurrection of Jesus is meant to reassure us, particularly during troubled times, that God has a good way forward for us. 

I am surrounded by trouble, but you protect me against my angry enemies. With your own powerful arm you keep me safe. Psalm 138:7

Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 11:25, 14:6

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Lord, we really do want to take heart in who You are and all You are doing in our lives and in our world.  You are carrying out Your great purposes for all of us and we pray to facilitate that in our day to day living and make a positive difference in our world as we follow You and watch You overcome the dark powers in the world.

That’s the encouraging part.  Here’s the hard part for us. 

Then Jesus said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?  Luke 9:23-25

Lord, we want to be Your follower because You are an amazing God who has shown amazing love on our behalf.  But when we hear what You say, our hearts tremble.  Give up our own way?  Take up our cross daily?  Lose our lives for Your sake? 

As trustworthy as Your words were when You kept on telling the disciples that You had to suffer and die but then would rise again in triumph over sin and death, so we choose today to trust these words of Yours even though they seem difficult and maybe even impossible. 

We don’t want to waste our lives.  We don’t want to gain the whole world and lose our own soul.  Help us today to stay simple and focused as You did.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  
Hebrews 12:1b-2

Let’s appreciate all Jesus did and live into all He’s told us to do.  Have a great day.