Matthew 16:24 tells us, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” A giving up of self is explained three different ways in this verse. First, we are to deny self. That’s because we’re not the god of our life, thus, we must get off the throne and acknowledge the one true God as the rightful owner. Jesus’ call to discipleship here demands that we completely abandon our natural desire to seek comfort, fame, and power…or even the basic instinct to preserve one’s own life at all costs. But biggest culprit hindering this is selfish pride, which still wants to sit on the throne. Next, condemned prisoners of that time were made to carry the crossbar of their cross to the site of execution. So daily, we are to pick up our “cross” of suffering, rejection, and difficult life circumstances and persevere….renouncing selfish ambitions and all rights to self. Finally, we are to follow Jesus…knowing from the start that the path isn’t an easy one to follow. But we can rest assured that Jesus has gone before us, remains beside us, and follows up behind us all the way.
Safetypinlove 