Take up your Cross

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Matthew 16:24

What does it mean to take up your cross daily? The cross represents pain and most of us don’t welcome it. Yet, pain is a part of this life. Jesus took up the bloody, despicable cross in order to save us from the depths of eternal separation from God. As believers, we also need to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Our crosses are inconvenient, personal, and difficult. However, the Lord uses our crosses to make us more like His Son, Jesus. What could our cross look like?

The cross of unmet expectations. (Luke 24:21)
When we take up the cross of unmet expectations, we turn everything over to God to work in His perfect plan even if we don’t get what we want. If we begin our day with surrendering our will to God’s will, He will bless us beyond what we can ask or expect.

The cross of unanswered prayers. (2 Samuel 12:1)
Many of us have looked back and thanked God for not answering our prayers in the direction we originally sought. Our cross of unanswered prayers helps us to trust God even in the unknown.

The cross of unresolved issues. (Acts 15:39)
Because we live in a fallen world, we will experience lack of resolve in some relationships regardless of how much we desire it. It’s in those times, we rest in God’s promise to make all things work together for our good.

The cross of an unexpected crisis. (Esther 4:16)
Believers suffer from the unexpected just like everyone else. Instead of wilting in fear, doubt, and unbelief—we seek God’s wisdom to deal with it.

The cross of unplanned life events. (Ruth 1:5)
We aren’t allowed to look into the future, instead we look to God when life doesn’t work the way we thought it would. Our hope is restored when we remember how the Lord has a purpose and plan for each one of us.