Pick It Up

Jesus said, “Anyone who does not pick up his cross and follow Me cannot be called My disciple” (Matthew 10:38) To those who call Jesus Lord but refuse to pick up their cross, Jesus says, “Get away from Me. I never knew you.”

The cross we bear in life is not some difficulty that we have no control over. Our cross is not a physical handicap or poverty or a difficult marriage that we simply resign ourselves to live with.

The Cross that Jesus tells us to pick up involves two main things:
1. Choice - Picking up our cross is a proactive behaviour. When we pick up our cross, we are making the choice to obey Creator God. Jesus chose to obey our Father in heaven even to the point of dying.
2. Love - Jesus loved His enemies so much that He carried the penalty of our sins and died to self so that we might have eternal life in His presence.

And then He said: Follow Me. Be like Me. Do what I did. Love as I love.

Carrying one’s cross is ALWAYS a voluntary endeavour. Carrying our cross always involves a choice to obey or disobey our Creator within the context of loving others.

Jesus, our example and character goal, came to earth knowing in advance that He would be lied to, abused, misunderstood, mistreated, rejected, insulted, betrayed and ultimately have humanity do our absolute worst to Him. Yet He entered into a covenant relationship with us anyway because He loves us.

And then Jesus said, “Pick up your cross and Follow Me. Be like Me. Do what I did. Act like I did in your covenant relationship with your spouse.”

Being a follower of Jesus is not for the faint of heart.

Show your children what it means to love God by picking up your cross, becoming a disciple of Jesus and loving your spouse as you love yourself.

It’s important to start today, because you may not get this chance again.