“And he said to them all, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.’” (Luke 9:23-24)
These are heavy words. What must we do in denying ourselves? Surely we aren’t to deny ourselves life’s essentials: food, water and clothing. What are we to deny ourselves then? We are to renounce selfish ambition. We must remove ourselves from the center of our lives and enthrone Christ there. We must, figuratively speaking, carry the cross each day of our lives. We are ambassadors of the cross; Christ’s representatives. If we shun this responsibility and go our own way, thinking it too hard a path, we will lose our life in the process. If we seek to serve God in all we do, slipping and falling at semi-regular intervals, we shall save our lives in the end. It is not perfection God seeks, but rather our trying to emulate Him in all we think, say and do that pleases Him. Eventually, as we follow Him, we will get it. Through diligent effort we will begin to think, speak and act a little more like our Lord each day. It is a long, slow, arduous task that we undertake. A reward is waiting for those who finish this race. Perseverance is supremely important. Sprinters will not be successful in this endeavor. It is the one who paces himself that will win in the end. Seeking to serve our Lord requires us to place all personal agendas, hopes and plans at the feet of Jesus and allow Him to morph them into something far more desirable and satisfying. Our walk is an individual walk. We don’t go as a group. We must take this journey on our own, all the while knowing we are never actually alone at all. God is with us and in us by His Holy Spirit. Even when it seems like we are by ourselves in the fray, God reminds us in unique and undeniable ways that He is with us. The only way to fully realize all God has in store for us is to make a full commitment to Him. All selfish ambition must be allowed to die as we push forward in obedience to God’s call. It is truly the only way we will ever save our lives, by a complete and total surrender of self to the will of God.
WALK WITH THE KING AND BE A BLESSING!
