If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23b, NLT).
Hey everyone! It’s your girl Julie, and we’re back with another segment of “Salty & Lit.” In today’s post, we’re going to talk about being followers of God. Let’s pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for calling us to be Your own. Lord, forgive us for the ways we’ve treated You in a way that did not bring You glory. Help us to follow You in everything. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.
In Luke 9:23, Jesus talks about the cost of being His disciple. First, it’s not a cheap one. There’s a requirement to 1. give up one’s own way, 2. take up one’s cross daily, and 3. follow Christ.
Give Up One’s Own Way
When we say “give up one’s own way,” there’s a forfeiture being done regarding surrendering and acquiescing to the desires of God. You no longer consider yourself the one in charge of your life; God is. When you surrender, you show God He can take the lead in your life, and you’ll follow His plan for you.
Your Desires
Your desires have to be forfeited too. That means, there are things you might want that are not in the will of God, and you submit because your life is not your own anymore. Friend, Christ has a high call for those who follow Him, so it’s important to check the requirements of following Christ before doing so.
Take Up One’s Cross Daily
The thing you’re called to do next is to take up your cross daily. That means, there is an active moment of suffering (like Jesus did, when He took up His cross), and following God nonetheless. You might never have to physically pick up a cross like Jesus did, but you may have to suffer in a different way that deals with the life God has for you. You might experience name-calling, breakups, anything all for the name of God, and that counts as taking your cross.
Friend, I don’t want to scare you, but I want you to know the cost of following Christ, and then when all this is over, you can follow Christ.
Follow
When you follow Christ, that means where He leads, you go. It doesn’t matter where He leads because once you said yes, you made a commitment to surrender to Him, so my friend, follow Christ and where He leads. He won’t lead you astray.
And for those who want to follow Christ, but don’t know how to yet, let me first introduce you to the Savior of the whole world: His name is Jesus Christ. He died a death for humanity, so that we can be in relationship with God. He is the only way that we can have access to God. If you believe in His name, admit you’re a sinner (someone who has broken the law of God), and believe Jesus died for you and rose again, you are saved according to Romans 10:9. Then after that, you can begin your journey of following God by reading your Bible and cultivating a relationship with Him.
God wants a relationship with you, and there’s not a lot of time left. He’s returning soon and will be ready to pick up the people who are for Him. Are you going to be one of those people?
Let’s pray.
God, You sent Jesus to die on the cross for us. For that, we are grateful. Help us to understand that sacrifice, and to live our lives daily in surrender to You. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Don’t forget you are loved, salty, and lit! Talk to you soon! 🧡
