Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me…” (Luke 9:23, NIV)
“What must I put down to take up my cross?”
This question can render us immovable, unwilling to say yes to Christ, to give up what we hold dear. We’re uncertain whether the life Jesus has for us is better than the way of life we’ve created for ourselves. “Will Jesus ask me to ____? Or not____?”
Probably.
But when we’re asked to sacrifice for someone we love, there’s this amazing shift that takes place in our heart; all the questions about what we’ll lose vanish.
Caught in the path of a massive rock slide, an enjoyable family hike quickly turned to tragedy. The father threw himself over his daughter, shielding her, sacrificing his life for hers. He had no time to question, debate what he’d lose; he gave it all, undoubtedly grateful he could.
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:24)