Luke 9:23 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. I have been thinking of this verse this morning, there is a command in this verse with the preface "IF"...if I choose to follow CHRIST willingly then I will be carrying a cross today. JESUS does not force me to take up the cross, HE does not force me to follow after HIM. HE simply puts forth this command, but HE begins it with this simple word "IF". "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." That cross will become a daily choice something I take with me every where I go, "IF" I desire to come after JESUS. That cross will be a vital part of my denying self, "IF" I desire to come after JESUS. It will become a part of my life daily to take it up and carry it in following HIM. I was thinking though what will that look like, to deny myself, to take up a cross and follow after JESUS. What does a cross represent, what does it mean to others? "IF" I desire to come after JESUS then there will no longer be a day that I am not faced with this choice, every moment of each day it will be there be fore me..."IF" I desire to come after JESUS? "IF", that one simple word demonstrates to me just how deeply HE loves and cares for us and how HE longs for us to return that same love and care to HIM. Today I will be carrying a cross, it is my desire to come after JESUS, so today I will be carrying a cross! What will you be carrying today?God blessmaryjane
Thank you for this post.
_________________Natalie
Can we say the yoke and the cross are the same?
