Jesus said: “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses himself?” (Luke 9:23-25)
Sound easy? Not really.
In fact, you can get everything down here and lose the game of life. You can keep your laptop and your favorite office chair and lose the business.
But Jesus is saying, ‘It isn’t worth not following Me.‘ If you get a bunch of stuff along the way and refuse to follow Me, you’re still going to lose everything.
So deny yourself and pick up your cross - which means live a life of sacrifice and follow Me - and maybe they’ll see that - and maybe you’ll cause them to want to follow Me. Essentially, maybe you’ll make it easier for other people to find Me and experience Me and know Me and love Me --- the way you do.
When we read those verses two thousand years after the fact, we get more than they do because we see it from this side of the cross, but they didn’t. They didn’t even know Jesus was going to a cross. He hadn’t been beaten yet - He hasn’t been crucified. They don’t really get it ... not like we do. Not like we should.
You can keep your laptop and your favorite office chair and lose the business.
I’ll admit that I want that ‘no mourning - no death - no tears - no sin’ thing. But Jesus is saying, ‘OK, but what about the Kingdom I have for you now. I’m still the King - here - now. It’s still My church - here - now. Want Me more than you want ‘no pain’ - want Me more than you want ‘no tears’ - want Me more than you want the end game. Don’t go around the cross in order to get to the crown.’
That’s the Kingdom now. Serve Him as your Master. Commit to Him as your King. Make much of Him. Obey Him as your Lord. Love Him as your Savior.
Who is He to you?
And be blessed.
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