Then He said to them
all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his
life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. Luke 9:23-24
Taking up your cross is something you choose to do. It's not something that has happened to you. It doesn’t mean suffering in a strained
relationship, physical illness or anything that might have been done against
you. It’s a choice to deny yourself. It’s a determination that, no matter what,
you’ll stand for Jesus. Taking up your cross involves the total submission of
your will, your passions and desires to God’s will. Jesus was our perfect
example. Jesus
carried His cross to Calvary and He was obedient unto death (Phil.
2:5). He surrender His will for His
Father’s will,
Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done Luke 22:42
The cross was the
ultimate act of obedience. In the biggest struggle of his life -the cross- Jesus
surrendered His will to God’s will.
The reward for denying yourself far outweighs the cost. The more we
let go of ourselves, the happier we will be. The more you give yourself away,
the richer you’ll be. The key is to come
after Jesus, follow Him and believe on Him, deny your pride, your sinful nature and obey
Him. He didn’t say this to torture or
torment us. He said it to liberate us and bless us. 
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