My Majestic King, You tell me in Your Word that if I want to be a true believer, I must deny myself and take up my cross and follow You. As a human, this isn’t an easy thing to do. To deny myself goes contra to the desires of my flesh. To deny means I turn my back on the things that the world holds in high esteem … riches, power, position, influence, etc. It requires yielding what I want and supplanting it with what You want. It calls for me to disavow the things of the world and, what many of my peers embrace as success and esteem, in order to submit to Your will. To deny myself is to admit that the things I labored so hard to obtain and attain are of little value compared to the things which You hold as more important. In denying self, I concede that the things You want and the way I’m asked to go in attaining them are much better. In bowing to You, I admit my failures and seek redemption from them.
In asking me to take up my cross, You are really asking me to step up and answer the call You’ve placed on my life. In the same way that You obeyed Your Father’s call on Your life, You are saying that If I truly want to belong to You I must answer my call. In thinking of bearing the weight of a cross, I’m reminded of the scripture where You invite me to take up Your yoke and learn from You. You said that Your yoke (my cross?) is light and, if I take it, I would find peace and rest. Like with any other task that I undertake, the initial period of break-in is very trying and exhausting but, when it is mastered, the task becomes easier and lighter to bear. That’s why You can assure me that when I contemplate taking up my cross (calling) to follow You it might be initially tedious and heavy but, as I learn from You and practice the concepts of my calling, it will become easier and lighter.
Following You requires my willingness to leave everything the world calls accomplishments behind in order to live in accordance with Your calling. There is no turning back. To follow You requires that Your values, morals and purposes become mine. I should never neglect my responsibilities to my family, job, church and neighbors but You must be my first priority. As My Shepherd, and me as one of Your flock, I must look to You for my care and guidance. To follow requires that I relinquish the leading of my life to You. In that decision, I must trust that You will never ask anything of me that is beyond my ability to do. In today’s world, being a follower is not something ascribed as being successful. It is looking for leaders who are willing to take charge, but like the wife You call to be submissive to her loving, caring husband … I gladly submit to You. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”