‘Give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.’Luke 9:23 NLT
God is not looking for wishy-washy commitment. In Revelation 3:16 He says ‘So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth’ (NIV). These words are strong, but paint a very clear picture that God wants more from us than mild, half-hearted interest. He is the God of the universe, who put the stars in space, then stepped down to our level to save us. We owe more to Him than some of our life, some of the time. He will always meet us where we are, but He expects us to give everything that we can in that moment. In Luke 9:23, Jesus told the crowd: ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me’ (NLT). That means that we no longer follow our own thoughts and wants, we follow Jesus and what He wants for our lives. That is the most intense form of commitment, giving ourselves up completely for someone else, and we are called to it. Paul sums this commitment up in Galatians 2:20, saying ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’ (NIV). That’s what it comes down to. Jesus loves us so much that He was willing to give everything up to follow that love to His life’s end. He deserves the same level of fully-committed love in return. What Now? Arrange some time to chat
with a Christian friend. Ask them to keep you accountable in giving all of your life over to God.Isaiah 11-13, Galatians 3