Jesus said in Mark 8:34-38 that we as his believers must
take up our cross if we want to be his followers. So this means that we must
forget about ourselves and get out of our comfort zone. We die to the way that
we use to live and put on new perspectives that is of the Lord and daily fight
the good fight of faith. What always felt so good in the flesh will not no
more, now is the time to suffer. Jesus talks about if we want to save our lives
that we must destroy our life it and give up the very life we live for “the
good news” (Mark 8:35). I don’t know about you but all this is kind of scary
right? All the talk about death, sacrifice and forgetting me? As a new
believer, this had me thinking that following Jesus was just too much. Sounded
like I had to live a life of so much discomfort and that seems crazy right? May
I explain some things?
If you have read any of my previous posts I talk a lot about
being sooooo rebellious as a new believer. I had the whole gospel wrong. If
someone was outside looking in they would have thought the gospel was about
making Monique feel good. I was all about me. I wanted to become a Christian so
that I can see what God can do for me and the crazy life I created for myself.
I will be completely 100 percent honest. I wanted a new me, new marriage, new
peace, a new life all together but I did not know that I needed to work with
the Lord to change me. I thought being a Christian was this sense of entitlement.
Like you know when you are a child of a King, you just automatically are born
into a kingdom. You get the robe, new fancy gold, and an area you reign over? Well,
I thought in my warp way of thinking: “I am now a child of God” where are my
benefits?” I had no idea following Christ came with a great deal of suffering
and sacrifice and when times got hard I bailed. I did not like how I was
feeling in trials and I just thought it was too hard to “take up a cross”.
I thought what does that even mean anyway? Take up a cross?
Like how can I even do that? Duh Monique, it’s metaphorically speaking. The
cross represented the ultimate sacrifice Jesus was nailed to. The cross represented
love. True love….Jesus died on a cross for me. For my sinful life so that I can
have a new life. When I focus on the cross and all that it exhibits I can
follow Jesus knowing that I am honoring him and all that he did for me. I am to
nail my past to that cross and stop looking at the things I nailed to it and
endure daily, fighting for what is true in Christ. When I start to “feel” a
certain way I give that “feeling” to the Lord and do what the Holy Spirit tells
me which 9 times out of 10 will make me feel uncomfortable. But when I
switch my perspective to the cross. In that moment, I remember the ultimate
sacrifice and know that my little feelings are nothing compared to what Jesus
endured. So I pick up my "metaphorically speaking" cross and I carry it with
pride honoring my RISEN Savior. I die to me and step by step (daily, every second) I carry that cross
knowing that my Father is well pleased in my service to Him. He smiles when I die to me and put him first.
Sisters, I had to switch my thinking about what the cross
meant. How did I do that? Every day in the word sitting at the feet of Christ
asking him to fill me with wisdom and his presence. Praying that he gives me
his perspective and not mine. Taking up our cross each and every day is hard
and yes we will suffer but at the end of that suffering is a beautiful exchange
and a eternal reward that this earthly life cannot give us. Sisters, this earth
is not our permanent destination, heaven awaits us. When we follow Jesus we enter HIS kingdom and
we are safe but we have to constantly follow Jesus. We cannot follow Jesus when it is convenient for us only. We are no longer this world’s (meaning we don’t just do what we
want living in sin) we belong to Christ so we should change. We are his
children BUT we need to act like it to. We cannot live messy just because
grace exist (that’s another blog post). J
I see taking up my cross daily as a privilege and
when I do take up my cross my Father meets me right where I am. He gives me all
I need to with stand its weight. We should never be ashamed to carry such a
high honor. Jesus says in Mark 8:38 “don’t
be ashamed of me and my message among these unfaithful and sinful people! If
you are, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of
his Father with Holy angels”. I don’t know about you but I find it exciting
to live a life following Jesus and carrying my cross daily. I do not want Jesus to be ashamed of me.
In Christ,
Monique Smith
Prayer Starter
Lord, Father God…..I am nothing without you. You came into
my life and made me new. You saved me by dying on the cross for me even when
you did not have to. You made it possible that I am in right standing with my Father. When
I sit with you each day Lord, please open up my heart and mind to your word so
that I can be convicted. I want to follow you at all costs and I will take up my cross daily knowing that I am doing so in your name. I cannot do this alone and I need you every second of the day. May I never lose my passion for you. Thank you Jesus, for my salvation. I Love you!! Amen.
