Then Jesus said to
His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24
Your
“cross” is God’s will for you, regardless of the cost. Taking up your cross is
a choice; it is not beyond your control. You may have health problems or a
rebellious child or financial pressures, but do not mistake these as your
“cross to bear.” Neither circumstances you face nor consequences of your own
actions are your cross. Your cross will be to voluntarily participate in
Christ’s sufferings as He carries out His redemptive purposes (Phil. 3:10).
Paul said he rejoiced in his sufferings because he knew that by them he was
able to participate in the suffering required to bring others into Christian
maturity (Col. 1:24).
We
tend to want to go immediately from “denying ourselves” to “following Jesus.”
But you can never follow Jesus unless you have first taken up your cross. There
are aspects of God’s redemptive work that can be accomplished only through
suffering. Just as Christ had to suffer in order to bring salvation, there will
be hardships you may have to endure in order for God to bring salvation to
those around you. Jesus did not talk with His disciples about the cross until
they had come to know He was the Christ (Matt. 16:21). You will never be able
to endure the suffering of the cross unless you have first been convinced that
Jesus is the Christ. Once you have settled your relationship with Christ, He
will introduce you to your cross.
There
is no Christianity without a cross. If you are waiting for a relationship with
God that never requires suffering or inconvenience, then you cannot use Christ
as your model. God’s will for you involves a cross. First, take up your cross,
then you can follow Him.
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