Follow 2020
“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” -Luke 9:23
Every year a few leaders at CoaH take some time to think and pray about how we want to grow as a congregation. This year we are hoping to follow Jesus… follow him more closely, to follow him more intimately. A natural question might arise- how? How do we follow Jesus? In Luke 9:23 Jesus tells us “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Following Jesus can look different, in some aspects, from person to person. For some it means being missionaries overseas, for others it means fostering or adopting a child, and for some it looks like being faithful witnesses in the workplace. Despite the surface level differences in what it looks like to follow Jesus, we are all commanded to do the same thing in Luke 9- deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Him.
Deny Yourself
Culture tends to say life is found in fully embracing all of your desires, but Jesus says life is found in denying ourselves and following him. Following Jesus comes at a cost.
How are you denying yourself to follow Jesus? For some it means overcoming certain desires of the flesh, for others it means denying the idea that you are the center of your life. Maybe more importantly you need to revisit why you’re denying yourself. Not to simply follow the rules, but rather to become more like Jesus in obedience, holiness, and closeness to God. We don’t deny ourselves simply to conform to a certain moral standard, but rather to conform to the living God.
Take Up Your Cross Daily
How odd an image of taking up your own cross- embracing the very thing that kills. This doesn’t mean we are to carry a literal cross on our way to being literally crucified, but rather in growing in likeness to Jesus we are to put to death the deeds of the flesh, our own plans, and our own desires (all very similar to denying yourself).
Don’t skip over the last word, take up your cross daily. How are you taking up your cross every day? Are you prepared to do what Jesus calls us to every single day? For some that means being ready to be hated and ridiculed for Jesus’ namesake (Mt 10:22), for others that means being ready to sacrificially give time and money to those around you.
Follow Me
Jesus tells us “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6). Such a statement demands we follow Jesus if He truly is the way. He doesn’t say “a way”, but “the way”. Who else would we follow but him?
The path of following Christ is not easy because it goes against our sinful desires that pull us so strongly and goes against an enemy that wants to destroy us. Following Christ is not a path that many envision as enjoyable, yet it leads to a destination that is incomparable and greater than anything eye has seen, ear has heard, or the heart has imagined. Yet remember following Jesus is worth it, yes for the destination, but also for being in relationship with God along the way.
How are you going to follow Jesus in 2020?