Luke 9:23-27 NKJV
[23] Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. [24] For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. [25] For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? [26] For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. [27] But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”
Good Morning!
We’ve all been given this one life to live and the choices we make today will determine our futures, both on earth and the hereafter. Jesus tells us to “take up our cross daily.” Notice He didn’t say to do this once or next year or even weekly, but “Daily.”
Our relationship with our Lord and Savior is not a “one and done” situation. We can’t just pray a sinner’s prayer once and expect that now everything is good and my eternity is secure. I’m not saying that it was not a sincere gesture or God will not honor your commitment. But as a follower of Christ, we are to given the command by Jesus to “lose our life for His sake and we will save it.”
Getting Down To Brass Tax
How do we lose our life and save it? Just like any relationship here on earth, our relationship with God is a two-way street. We cannot always be on the receiving end of God’s blessings, although God is always willing to bless us as our Heavenly Father. He desires of us to have a heart of worship and to follow Him and His commands that Jesus gave us while here on earth. To know His will, we must read His word and pray. That is our open line of communication to the One True God who is Creator of all things.
Proverbs 21:2 NKJV
[2] Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.
We are God’s Masterpiece.
As God’s masterpiece, He has given us this one life to live and make the choices here and now that will affect our future. We can either (a) try to “conquer the world” and live a life that is self-gratifying and “chasing after the wind” or (b) live a self-less life where we put God’s Word first and live for what is really important. Wealth, fame, getting more stuff, and filling our hearts with the ways of the world is only temporary and will all come to an end. But living a life with eternal view gives us the hope of our future in the next life.
Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
[8] God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. [10] For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ecclesiastes 2:11 NLT
[11] But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless-like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.
God Has A Plan For You
If you are ready to take that next step of faith but don’t know where to start, don’t worry, God will direct your paths. The only thing He wants of you is a willing heart. He will use you and mold you into what He has planned for you since the beginning of time. We just have to be willing and dedicated to taking up our cross daily.
When we earnestly pray and seek God’s face, He will respond in amazing ways. He will open doors in your life that you would never have suspected. He may also close some doors that you were considering. He may bring new people into your life and purge some bad relationships that want to pull you back into the world’s system. All of this is okay, as long as we are following after God’s own heart, He will work it all out according to His purpose.
Proverbs 4:23-27 NLT
[23] Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. [24] Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. [25] Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. [26] Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. [27] Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.
Romans 8:28 NKJV
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
It Is An Adventure
With a willing heart that is taking up your cross daily, God will set your feet upon a path that will lead to an adventure that we would never suspected. He could call you into areas of ministry that you never would have dreamed of or He could put you into a CEO position of a company that would be used for His purpose. You never know what God has in store for you until you decide to make that daily commitment saying “yes” to whatever God has planned for your life.
I pray that as you read this, you will decide to take up the cross and follow Him along the path that God has set out for you in this one and only life. Let Him guide you and lead you along His pathway and adventure that you will only look back on as a good life that leaves a legacy for the cause of Christ.
I love you and am praying for you today!
Dad