Choices

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The disciples had a lot of their ideas destroyed by Jesus. He taught them it was hard for a rich man to find the kingdom of heaven, that if they wanted to be the leader, then they must learn to be a servant first. Here they are being told to take up their cross and follow Jesus. What did that mean to them? As they struggled to comprehend Jesus dying on a cross, I am sure this was also obscure to them.

How do we receive it? Do we stop to think what our cross might look like or do we blissfully ignore it, and complain bitterly when the wheels fall off? Probably! However, Jesus said it so we would know it was coming. Our cross might be a death to a plan that would make us rich and famous, and see it replaced with a life of serving a sick or disabled child or spouse. If could be any number of things which we gloriously imagine, but find to be disillusional.

The word cross implies death to something. Jesus also said: it is better that you fall upon the rock (Jesus, and the truth of His word) and be broken,  than to have it fall on you and you are crushed.

Again, life is full of choices! Amen!