“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me……For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Galatians 2:20, Matthew 16:25 ESV
I am sure you have heard someone say amid suffering either through sickness, limited ability, or family struggles that this is ‘My cross to bear.’ Most of the time it is said with an ounce of acceptance, but not always. There are those who feel that everyone goes through life bearing at least one cross of affliction. That same saying today is carried over from Jesus’s words in the New Testament spoken on more than occasion when He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mt.16:24 esv) For the Christian, taking up your cross involves much more than dealing with some sort of affliction.
Taking up your cross is not denying yourself certain pleasures in this life. It is a total commitment of your life to Jesus. The apostle Paul equates himself as being crucified with Christ. His old self is dead. He cannot deny or give up anything that is dead. His life is now lived in Christ. Paul is telling us not only to deny ourselves but to die to ourselves. Jesus tells us we are to lose our lives for Him and we will find it. We will find eternal life in the future and a fuller life in the present by not succumbing to the pleasures of sin in the world and lose our soul.
Jesus is looking for totally committed followers to be His disciples. Twelve disciples followed Jesus during His ministry on earth being totally committed. They were His students learning from Him as he taught them. Jesus was preparing them to take the gospel across the world to all people. It’s time for all Christians to be true followers of Jesus learning from His teaching through His Word, and be true disciples totally committed, which is ‘our cross to bear.’
Word for the Soul 