" . . . and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me."
On the surface, this appears to be one of the tougher sayings of Jesus, but actually, it's no different than any of the others. Once again, Jesus is giving us a "do as I do" command, not a "do as I say" one. John 19:17 tells us Jesus ". . . carried His own cross . . ."
What is our cross? What must we pick up and follow after Jesus with? Many people believe it is the everyday trials and tribulations that befalls us on life's journey, but I don't believe that to be true. The heartaches everyone experiences in life are brought about by sin in the world, but our cross is different.
Our cross is to do the will of God, no matter what He asks of us. First and foremost, I believe our cross is to show the world the fact that we are sanctified to do nothing BUT the will of God. It is to publicly identify with Him, to bear wth almost certain opposition, and to be committed to face even suffering and death for His sake. Publicly admit by our life-actions we are followers of Jesus Christ and obey His commands. That can be a very heavy cross indeed. Ridicule, scorn, beatings, torture, death certainly follow Believers wherever they go.
We have been made holy by the washing of the blood of the Lamb to be totally obedient to whatever God will ask us to do. For Jesus, it was to die a horrible death so that we may have eternal life. For martyrs, it was and is to die without recanting. For missionaries, it is to boldly go proclaiming the Word. For some it is the calling to the pastorate and for others it is to teach. For each one of us it will be different, but we must be instantly ready to do whatever is laid before us.
Do not be afraid of what Christ will ask of you, for whatever it is, He will surely prepare you and give you whatever tools are necessary to carry out His will. There is nothing, NOTHING sweeter in all eternity then being centered in the will of God. His will for you may be as simple as praying with a friend in the produce section of the grocery store. If that is what is asked, do it instantly. Don't worry what other shoppers will think. Just do what God asks. God's in charge of event. Trust Him.
Are you instantly obedient to God or do you evade the issue when He prods you? What causes you to hesitate; what are your fears?
"Sweet Jesus, help me. Sometimes I'm terrified to speak up. In Your Name, Jesus, I bind the spirit of fear that attacks me; he has no hold on me. Loose my life, Lord, that I will walk in complete obedience to Your will. Show me every day what You want me to do, and strengthen me to do what you ask. Help me Jesus, to trust you with every fiber of my being. I only want to be a glory to Your Name. Amen. "
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
John 6:40
Colossians 1:10-12
2 Timothy 1:6-8
Luke 22:42
John 14:21, 23
Romans 15:32
16:19
Hebrews 10:33-35
2 John 1:4
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment