Tuesday - Take Up Your Cross

Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

In Luke 9:23, right after telling us to deny ourselves, Jesus adds a second requirement: take up your cross daily. We sometimes cheapen this phrase into ordinary inconveniences, a stubbed toe, a bad back, "just my cross to bear." But when Jesus said it, His audience knew exactly what He meant. A cross wasn't a metaphor for hardship; it was an instrument of death. A person carrying one was walking toward their own execution.

Just before this, Jesus had told His disciples that He would suffer, be rejected, and die. Now He tells them, and us, that following Him means being willing to walk the same road of sacrifice. History bears this out: eleven of the twelve apostles were martyred for their faith. Even John, the only one to die of natural causes, was exiled.

For most of us, this won't mean physical persecution. But it will mean sacrifice: standing for truth when it's unpopular, losing friendships or opportunities because of your faith, giving up comfort or convenience for the sake of Christ. Taking up your cross means willingly embracing whatever that cost looks like for you, every day.

Takeaway: Following Jesus was never promised to be safe; it was promised to be worth it.