I was challenged in my own quiet time on what this whole idea of taking up your cross means and what it means to be a completely committed follower of Jesus Christ. Also, I found myself answering the question what do I need to choose Jesus over to be able to wholeheartedly serve Him. Just a thought...
In Luke 9:23, Jesus invites anyone to "take up your cross..." This is often where people stop reading, but the next word is what makes all the difference...Everyday. Everyday I make a decision that I will die to myself. It is not a one time decision. What does it look like to die everyday? For me it means I choose Jesus over my plans and my future. Dying to myself means I choose Jesus over possibly having a career, a home, a spouse, and/or a family. Dying to myself means choosing Jesus over my family and other relationships. I choose Jesus over even my own freedoms, my past, present, and future guilt. I choose to die daily, picking up the cross to follow Him. It is only by dying to myself/ourselves that we truly find life, which is real life in Jesus Christ. This is the secret of real living.
