"Then he (Jesus) said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple, must deny themselves and pick up their cross daily and follow me.'" Luke 9:23 NIV
How different is this verse from the messages we get from our secular society. We are told to get what we want, when we want, no matter how it impacts others. Even in many churches, this passage is glossed over and a prosperity gospel is preached. We need to seriously look at the life of Jesus, and the apostles. For them, it was all about being servants and sacrificing for the good of others. We get discouraged when "the peace that passes understanding" eludes us, but have we been dodging our cross? The diligent obedience of Paul and his unselfish life lead him to a place where he could say that in "all things" he was content. The fruit of the spirit does not grow without an obedient, focused, unselfish heart.
Lord, we don't like to do hard things. We think we deserve a happy, trouble free life. We don't care about others as much as we could. Lord, soften our hearts to your love and let your spirit shine out of us to bless others. Help us to accept our cross, joyfully.
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