Luke 9:23(KJV)
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Jesus said anyone who would follow Him must first deny himself. In other words, Jesus was saying our value for God should be more than nothing in this world. Jesus made clear to His followers that to follow Him requires a radical altering of our loyalties. When Jesus said those words, He was telling us how to live a superior life right here on Earth. He didn’t live His life for Himself. Jesus lived it absolutely for God. He only did what the Father told Him to do. So, our purpose as Christians is to please God—to lay down our lives to fulfill His desires. To be His precious disciples and possessions on the Earth and do whatever He tells us to do. Discipleship is very central to Christian growth and witness. It is the process of following Jesus Christ, serving Him, and obeying Him. As His disciples, we strive to become like Him to represent Him in His absence. When we live for Christ, we become more like Him, bringing out our unique individuality. In addition to this vital prerequisite for discipleship, we might add the attributes of humility, gentleness, discipline, justice, and love. The lifestyle of disciples of Christ should be clearly different and morally superior to that of the world.
Identifying with Jesus requires the belief in His standards and the commitment to live by them. In other words, as faithful disciples of Jesus, we are to be filled with unrestricted and single-minded zeal for God and live our lives entirely sold out to Him. The template of discipleship instituted by the Lord demands that anyone who desires to be a true disciple must first deny themselves. Self-denial is all about sacrificing personal interests and preferences to focus on the will of the Master only. In denying ourselves, disciples must have hatred for sin and a willingness to forgo conflicting personal preferences, pleasure, ambitions, and goals to maintain their loyalty and commitment to Christ. We deny ourselves when we surrender ourselves to Christ and are determined to obey His will. The work of following Christ is difficult, but He’s given us His Spirit, and the reward is a complete, joyful life now and forever. In following Him, our heavy burdens are lifted and our lives transformed. Following our gentle and humble Leader is never burdensome, but it’s the way of rest, hope, and healing. The Christian race becomes very easy for anyone who can take this very principal step.
Beloved, your top priority is to give yourself to God and to live in communication with Him. To spend enough time with Him that you can hear His voice and respond in obedience. God’s will must have top priority above all other interests in your life, and His laws should be your yardstick for measuring what is right or wrong. Learn to make yourself do the right things that you want to do. Only when you do that will you be genuinely fulfilled. From today onwards, be zealous for God, and you will see Him move heaven and Earth just for you. Take the yoke of Jesus Christ with all seriousness and steadfastness. Decide to follow Jesus despite the hostility of the world around you. Deny yourself, take your cross and follow Jesus Christ daily. Make up your mind today to live solely for Christ and Christ alone. If you are struggling to take up your cross daily, ask God to help you with the grace to subject your flesh to the dictates of His Spirit. Surrender all to Jesus Christ today, and He will give you rest. With your eyes and heart focused on the Cross, you look forward to being with Jesus in His Heavenly home.
O Lord, I relinquish the ownership of my life to You. Help me take up my cross daily and follow You in Jesus’ Name.