December 24, 2023

Luke 9: 23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (NIV)

The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.*

I hate housework because it’s never done. You can’t just sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor because in a matter of moments, someone comes along and makes a mess - even if you live alone! Yardwork, on the other hand, is much more satisfying – at least you don’t have to do it again the very next day!

Someone quoted a “wise person” as saying, “Life is hard because it’s so daily.”* And at first glance, it would seem that Jesus is telling us the same thing about following him. Every day we must deny ourselves and take up his cross. Makes it sound like drudgery, doesn’t it? Where is the joy in following Jesus?

What if we looked at it a different way – a positive way? What if we saw every day as a clean slate, a fresh new opportunity to deny ourselves, take up his cross, and follow him? What if every morning we could just forget the failures of yesterday and press on with following him today? It’s not something we have to do every day – it’s something we get to do every day. Shouldn’t we look forward to each new day with joy and anticipation rather than dread? 

How could you bring freshness, creativity, and new attitude to the daily grind?*