Give Up Your Own Way and Take Up Your Cross

Choosing to follow Jesus and be His disciple is a never-ending journey of becoming less like the world and more like Christ. There is never a “I finally made it” moment. We are always learning, growing, and being stretched beyond our perceived capacity. When we think we can’t do something, Jesus shows us that we can—through His strength. He made it clear that to follow him means we have to die to ourselves, pick up our cross daily, and follow Him. 

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, 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.” (Matthew 16:24-25, NLT)

I am blessed to live in the United States, where I can worship how I choose, but many around the world are threatened with death if they even whisper the name of Jesus. If you could no longer say the name of Jesus or read the Word of God without penalty of death, would you choose to do so anyway? I think I would.

I have been walking with the Lord for 22 years, and He continues to teach me what it means to truly obey and follow Him. Years ago, I found myself helping lead worship in a church with multiple locations. After the Lord repeatedly asked me to get on my knees during worship, I refused. I was too worried about what others would think of me. When He asked me again, this time at the much larger campus, I knew I needed to obey. I immediately started thinking I needed to let others know what I was doing so they wouldn’t be alarmed, but before I could, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, Is it more important to do what I am asking you to do, or is it more important what man thinks?

I knew I needed to obey quickly. When we got back on stage after the message, I immediately closed my eyes, dropped to my knees, and started to sing. It was such a sweet moment of worship with the Lord as tears ran down my cheeks. I didn’t want to leave His presence! I lingered a bit longer as I heard people packing up and preparing to leave for the day. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see a group of people waiting for me at the bottom of the stage. 

They all shared similar stories about packing up to leave, and the Lord said to them, “Stop. Look. Worship Me.” When they saw me worshiping on my knees, they put their things down and worshiped with me. It was such a minor thing the Lord was asking me to do for Him. It wasn’t a matter of life or death, but it still took multiple instances of Him asking me to obey Him. How gracious the Lord is to us! 

Following Jesus requires us to surrender our will to do things our way daily and choose to do things His way. I don’t know about you, but I want to be bold and do what the Lord asks me the first time. I want to follow Him, no matter what that may look like. I want to see Him change the lives of people around me and to be a light in the darkness. How about you? 

“If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” (Matthew 10:38-39)

~

Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.