Matthew 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
What does it mean to take up your cross and follow after Him? The Lord says if you don’t take up your cross and follow after Him you are not worthy of Him! Those are strong words. The Cross is a continual reminder of the cost of our salvation. We take up His Cross when we act out His will in our daily life here on earth. His will is acted out through us when we realize what he accomplished on the Cross for each one of us.
There may be times when taking up His Cross are occasions of struggle and anguish. But this will be a time when He draws very close to you in many way and takes you by the hand or even carries you through difficult times, difficult tasks. This will be a time when we put aside the “can-do” attitude and put our total trust in Him Each one of us should be comforted by the words that He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13.5). We do not carry the cross alone, He bears the weight of it!
But there are also times when we become aware of His will and because of many reasons we fail to take up His Cross, being disobedient. There is the feeling of unworthiness on our part. We feel we are not up to the task placed before us, but if Christ has put this task before us He will also empower us in accomplishing it.
Paul always had the Cross before him. But he did write: “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (1Cor 15.9). But he also wrote: To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,(Eph 3.8)
Not being “worthy” of Him means we are dominated by “self” and not Him. Our walk should always be mindful of the love that sent Him to the Cross for each of us!
Colossians 2:6-7 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
May each of us follow after Him! Just a thought for the morning.
Carl
(7/8/2020)