Taking up your cross daily.(Luke 9:23)

Consumingfire · 12-30-2003, 08:25 PM

Luke 9:23 : "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.'"

In the foot notes in my Bible (the "Reformation Study Bible" new king james version.)
it says.: "To take up the Cross means to renounce selfish ambition; it is a death to a whole way of life."

Wow.. I know I dont Renounce my selfish ambition daily... I wake up every moring and the first thing on my mind is "hm. wonder who's emailed me back.?" and "hm. wonder what's going on-on CGR." I see that as my "selfish ambition" every morning. I have alot of other "selfish ambitions" through-out the day im sure.

I have challenged myself recently, to start reading my Bible, before i do anything else.. I want it to be the first thing on my mind when i get up. I want to think "Hm. wonder what God has in His word for me today!"

My challenge to all who read this devotional (rather just an expoundation on a verse... Hey, it's my first devotional ever.. so sorry if it doesnt make much sense...)
Is this.
For the next week (at least) wake up, and read a portion of scripture.
I find that sometime that day, i ALWAYS have some sort of situation or something that comes up, where that verse just pops back into my head from the morning i read it.. It's always real in my life, and always applicational. I plan on making more devotional's.. I want to make them very applicational and down to earth. So any feed back would be more than welcome..

Jenacen · 12-30-2003, 08:51 PM

So what if it's your first? It's a good reminder to me.

That's the point in my life I know I want to get to (waking up to God and not the stresses and events of the day), and I know what in my life I need to get rid of to do it. It's just time to stop talking and do it

Thank you

marsgoat7 · 12-31-2003, 12:28 PM

you're right gabe.....it's very hard to remember to "die" to your own selfish wants EVERY DAY...

so, thank you for the reminder!

God bless,
margot

hockeydad · 12-31-2003, 12:36 PM

I would like to be able to say that this is how I always start my day but to be truthful, I can't always motivate myself to get up early enough to do it.

And I know better.

Our relationship with Christ is in many ways like any other relationship we have. In the same way that husbands and wives or boy-friends and girl-friends or just plain friends need to work at and nurture their relationship, we must work at our relationship with Christ. We need to spend time talking with Him, not just to Him. We need to listen to what he has to say to us both in His word and as He speaks to our hearts.

Good start for your devotional. Keep up the good work. I'll be checking back.

marsgoat7 · 12-31-2003, 12:50 PM

yes, and of course, I'll be checking back too!!

angela05 · 01-01-2004, 03:24 PM

Deffinitly a good reminder. I struggle daily with dying to my sinful nature. I wanna do what I WANNA DO!

And when I make obvious decisions based on that, it's ugly. It's deffinitly not Jesus shining through me. It's like there's this war going on inside of me. The good Angela wants and hungers and yearns to be filled, to get into the Word, to grow closer to my Father, to feel His love.

I know He's desperately in love with me; He's the relentless pursuer. But it's like the bad Angela says, "naw you're fine." she doesn't want to read the Word, pray, make any effort in my relationship with my Savior. I know He gives me strength, He sustains me, he makes that good Angela possible. He lives in me, loves me, and works through me...so long as I live a life totally surrendered to Him. But when I don't live in submission to Him, when I don't die to that sinful nature but instead feed it...

it's like when Paul says in Romans that he does all the things he doesn't want to do...and the things he knows he should do, but he can't manage to do it. It's a war...but He offers freedom. I just have to have to accept His help, be open to what He wants to work.

nelly · 01-10-2004, 06:53 AM

Hi. I have been thinking on the same thing. Yeterday morning when I woke up I wanted to read some scripture but I would be too late for work. So I dedicated my day to God and everything I had planned to do. I suddenly felt very selfish that I only wanted all He could offer me for the day yet I was not dedicating any of my the 24 hrs of my day. I have been just too preoccupied with my events that I do not read and l listen to God's word for the day. I realise I have to change, maybe wake up earlier...

Arwen Evenstar · 01-13-2004, 02:25 PM

Thanks for this devotional, it is a very needed reminder, and a good idea to read the Bible as the first thing after waking up... I'll try it out. I already know it's gonna work. This thing about taking up my cross daily is kind of a problem to me... I ALWAYS feel bad whenever this subject is mentioned. It is so difficult, I think, to give up everything and only follow him. He deserves all my attention, and I give him like one percent. That scares me, and I am afraid I will never get it better. It is a disaster!

jesus_freak7887 · 12-28-2004, 05:22 AM

You're right man. Too many times it feels like it's too hard to follow Christ, by denying myself and carrying on the cross. I think we should understand It just feels too hard and it isn't too hard to be done. Jesus said :"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matthew 11:29,30.
Thanks to God for His Word.
May God give us understanding of His Love even though we can't understand it all.
God bless.

walkwjc · 12-30-2004, 08:22 PM

Excellent devotional man, most times it's that one verse that gets us through something critical in our lives later on. That day, week or year, whatever. Great start, looking forward to the next one.

In Christ's Awesome Love
-d