I believe this to be a profound way Jesus is reminded us that life is a gift. Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). First, deny; to declare that something is not true, to refuse to let somebody have something, to refuse to acknowledge somebody, or to refuse to gratify your own needs or desires. Jesus didn’t say to deny your past, your job, your family, your future aspirations, etc… Jesus said to deny yourself. That’s everything. Why refuse to gratify your own needs or desires? Because Jesus has better needs and desires for you. He knows you better than yourself and knows the oncoming pain of your own desires that are not rooted in Him. Second, take up your cross. Jesus died on a cross. He is telling you to carry your death with you. Has your arms ever started hurting while carrying your child around or bringing the bags of groceries into the house on that short walk from the car to your refrigerator? Jesus’ cross was so heavy that he dropped it and Simon had to carry it the rest of the way to Golgotha. Our death is heavy and Jesus wants us to carry it as we follow him. Why? To remind us that every day is a gift and death eventually takes everyone. Lastly, follow Jesus. The first two parts make the third beautiful. Forget yourself and remember you are not exempt from death and THEN follow Jesus. If you can do the first two things, then following Jesus will be a complete blessing. Everywhere he leads you will be filled with awe. Everything you in obedience will be a blessing. You will come to realize what Jesus wants all of us to realize from the beginning; we are nothing without Him, we cannot promise ourselves tomorrow, and the present really is a present from God. Life really is a gift and today is all we have. Plans for tomorrow can end in an accident that leads to your death. In everything you do today, do it with exceeding love. If you’re putting it off until tomorrow, ask God if he wants you to do it today, for tomorrow He might want to see you in person.
Posted on: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 17:23:13 +0000
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