Take Your Cross and Follow Me
Introduction
Many people are quick to quote that God loves the world, Jesus forgives any sin or that only God can judge. However, when it comes to the phrase “Take your cross and follow me”, this is often left out. This phrase can be found in the scriptures ; Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:23 and Mark 8:34. This phrase is often left out and not quoted as often by many people compared to the other scriptures as taking up your cross requires sacrifice.
Today, we live in a world where many people want to live life on their own terms and taking up their cross to follow Jesus often means leaving behind their own plans. Today, we will examine what it means to take up your cross, why most refuse to do it and how to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
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What Does It Mean To Take Up Your Cross To Follow Jesus?
To take up your cross to follow Jesus means to forsake your plans to follow God’s plans for your life. When you repent of your sins and give your life to Jesus Christ when you get saved, your life now belongs to God. This means that you are expected to be a disciple and put God’s will over your own will. Being a true follower of Christ involves walking the narrow path instead of following the world.
Giving Up On Your Plans
Taking up your cross to follow Jesus means that you can no longer do the following
Living wherever you want
Dating whoever you want
Going to the club
Being in sin
Being friends with whoever you want
These are just a few examples of what it meant when Jesus said take up your cross and follow me. You can no longer do whatever you want so if God tells you to stop dating that man/woman as they aren’t what God has in store for you, you have to obey. This is where many people fail as they want their plans to be fulfilled instead of God’s plans. Many people want to be able to date,marry, live wherever they want without anyone telling them anything.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8)
Why Very Few People Carry Fully Surrender to Jesus Christ
For many people, it is easy to talk about God rather than to let their actions align with God’s will. It is easy for a woman who is in fornication sleeping with multiple men to say that God is good rather than forsake fornication and wait on the God ordained husband that Jesus Christ has in store for her. It is easy for a man to live in sin smoking weed going to the strip club with his friends rather than to stop smoking weed and leaving the strip club life behind.
Walking the narrow path to follow Jesus Christ means that you can no longer live your old life that you did in the world. Many people love to say come as you are but you are not supposed to stay as you are. When God stated to take up your cross and follow me was aimed as God’s true disciples as God looks at your heart not your mouth.
Many people are more comfortable talking about God rather than following God’s will. You can put 100,000 people in one room and only 100 might be following God’s will.Many people honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from God (Matthew 15:8). Many people talk about God but they are not true disciples of Jesus Christ who gave up everything to follow Jesus Christ.
You Cannot Serve God and The World
You cannot serve God and the world. When Jesus said take up your cross and follow me, it meant full surrender to the kingdom of heaven. However, many people in today’s generation want to be part-time christians where they serve God one minute and then run back to the world. You cannot choose to serve God when you want as for many people, serving God is just on Sundays at church.
Many people want to talk about God but they want to go back to smoking, being drunk, fornication,adultery etc. They want to live their lives however they want but they want to proclaim the name of God because it’s either popular or they were raised in christian households.
Rest assured that those who choose to live lukewarm are not real disciples of Jesus Chirst as they live their lives based on their plans. They don’t care about letting go of clubbing, partying, fornication etc. They want to live life based on their terms instead of following the will of God. However, being a lukewarm christian is dangerous as Jesus will reject them on judgment day if they don’t repent and change.
God’s Will vs Your Will
God’s will is designed to bring you peace as it is based on God’s plans as God knows what is best for your life. God’s will may not always be you having the woman next door that you dreamed about as a man or your God ordained husband might be 5ft 9 if you're a woman seeking a 6 foot plus man. God’s will isn’t designed based on what we always want but what God has assigned for us and what will benefit us long-term.
Many people can’t handle their plans not being fulfilled based on their terms so they choose to follow their plans over Jesus Christ. However, when you follow your own plans this is where many people end up getting hurt or failing. This is why many people end up in many failed relationships, jobs they dislike or moving from city to city as they don’t like each city they move to.
Your own will is based on emotions but the heart is very deceptive and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Plus, Satan is always looking for ways to destroy humans and when you follow your own will, it is easy for Satan to send a trap your way. Satan can send a demonic Jezebel woman who happens to be beautiful to many men. Satan can send a 6 foot man making 6 figures to be charming at first but wicked in the end. When you follow your plans over God’s plans, you are gambling with the devil and you are an open target for the devil’s tricks.
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Warning and Encouragement
Do not let materialistic items lead you into chasing the world over Jesus Christ. It is nice to have the money, cars, houses, clothes etc. However, these things are temporary and will fade away as you cannot bring materialistic items to the grave or eternity. Following your own will can lead you to bad situations such as being hurt from past relationships.
It is dangerous to walk in disobedience as disobedience is equivalent to witchcraft according to the bible (1st Samuel 15:23). You do not want to be a witch as witches endure the judgment of God who dislikes those who walk in disobedience.
It is not too late to repent and get back on track if you have been living lukewarm and now fully surrender to God. Take up your cross and follow me is said by Jesus to those who are his true disciples who give up their plans to follow the kingdom of heaven’s will.
Conclusion
Jesus is looking for true disciples as we need true disciples in today’s time. We are getting even closer to the return of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, the gospel of Jesus has been compromised to where many people think they can live however they want without full surrender to God.
In many churches and amongst many people, it is just cool to talk about God. However, when it comes to following God’s plans, many people refuse to. Pick up your cross and follow me stated by Jesus Christ in the gospel is a testimony of a true disciple. A person who gives up everything for Jesus Christ and follows God’s plans.
A person who fully surrenders to God’s will will have true peace and victory in the end as they are obeying God’s plans as God knows what is best for you. Stay close to Jesus Christ and stay in obedience to God’s will. God Bless.
