Unlimited: Take Up Your Cross!
Sep 23, 2019 1925
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22)
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Our Lord did not deceive people when he said, “Come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). He did not say we will have a crown from the start, and no more worries.
I was the only traveller on a bus in New Zealand once. I stopped and chatted with the bus driver, and to just about everything I asked him he said, “No worries, mate … No worries, mate … No worries, mate.” What a lucky guy, I thought.
“No worries, mate!” In a sense, that was good gospel.
If you are in Christ, there will be all sorts of things that threaten worry. But our Lord says, “If you live one day at a time–even though you take up a cross, even though you hate the world, even though you have tribulation- if you are in me, you will have peace.”
Jesus does not disguise either half of the paradox. He does not tempt us by saying there will be no problems, “No worries, mate.” He says you will take my cross; every day you will die. We are to die to selfishness and our own wilfulness. But he says our cross will become a crown.
Jesus endured the cross that we might escape the cross. He simply asks us to follow him.
– Des Ford (adapted)
Eli’s Reflection: What does it look in your life to “take up your cross”? Have you experienced life in Jesus where you can ultimately say, “No worries, mate!”? What keeps you from following Jesus?
Hephzibah Sigsmund Woisso
Sep 23, 2019
In life of faith in Christ Jesus, has some challenges in our mind because of the world. Believers thinks that they are isolated from pleasure, and company of their friends. They afraid to loose their evil benefits that they think they are making them known by many! So what important thing to do is to place all misunderstanding to the hand of Jesus who has ability to handle them. For my side, I pass many challenges from near by front ends and family members. I get huge conflict from my marriage. But I thanks God for that. Because it was giving more strength spiritually. I took problems as a opportunity to pray for other marriage which pass in difficult relationship. It draw my life near to God. it helped me to strength my relation ship to God by repenting for me and to my marriage. I learn how to forgive and forget. Trough problems I learn the love of God to me and others. So we can't eskep Satan and it's temptation, but it is better to find the face of God by fasting and prayer as a result every thing will be good. Blessed to you servant of God. HEPHZIBAH WOISSO, FROM TANZANIA.
Souhir Rekik
Sep 23, 2019
To take up my cross does mean that I will confront every day Satan's schemes against me using his people so I try to be still and aware so nothing can trouble me and I don't loose my peace in any situation. I trust my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who can protect me and help me anywhere, anytime, Glory be to his holy name.