What Is Your Cross?

Friday, May 24,2024

  Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Romans 15:2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.

Memory verse: Psalm 90:14

14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.  

Today's reading: 1 CHRONICLES 25-27 JOHN 9:1-23

What Is Your 'Own Cross'?

In Luke 14:27 Jesus says: "And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."

What is your own cross?

As carnal humans-natural humans with minds conditioned by a fleshly controlled world-as natural humans who, even though we are saved by Christ, still have sin living in us(Romans 7:17).

Jesus says some things that bring on what one writer calls "our own self-protective reflex" to reject the way of Christ. This is the 'natural man' in us.

With that 'reflex' in mind, see what reading this makes you feel:

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple."  

This comes just before the above John 14:27 in verse 26.

The truth is, in our Christ following journey, we may be called upon to make decisions that look as if we hate our lives in the sense of caring very little for their well-being.

When we commit to Christ, this makes His claim over our lives to be ultimately stronger than any other-including family. Jesus is stating this in the most demanding terms.

There are not many Christ-followers who would not give their own lives to see their loved ones trust Christ and have everlasting life-that is what Jesus died for-but Jesus wants us to know our love for Him and what it calls for.

It sounds so radical and it is. But there are people around the world right now who are forced to make decisions that sever relations with their families when they commit to Christ and even call them to die for their faith in Christ.

Jesus knows our love for our families. He wants us to know what our love for Him is and where it should be. We are called to love Him ulimately more than any attachments we have in this life.

What is our 'cross'. The cross we bear is 'this life'.

John 12:25-“Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Our cross is 'our life in this world'.

Luke 9:23 ►Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

Everyday-we must die to life in this world-first thing-before anything else.

We are called to:

Love God with all we are.(Matthew 22:37-39)

Love our neighbor as we love ourselves.(Matthew 22:37-39)

Seek first the kingdom of God.(Matthew 6:33)

Take up our cross daily-die to this life(Luke 9:23)

We are called by God to make the hardest decisions daily as we follow Christ Jesus.

To the natural human mind, this is never easy. To the heart born of God, it is learned.

We must get over self and get it done-but done in His power.

...because God loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Destroy my self preservation-my self love- forgive me.

Merciful God of our great calling,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen