Are You Dying?

Jesus’ invitation to “take up our cross” was an opportunity to die. I know... This sounds really exciting. Seriously though, let’s be sure we don’t get this confused with anything else. Here are some things we mistakenly think His invitation was about. It wasn't simply to…

• Have a better life, but life with Jesus is abundant
• Go to Heaven one day/avoid hell even though Heaven will be a great place to spend eternity
• Get what we want, yet Jesus does tell us He will meet our needs
• Become a better or nicer person; however, if we follow Him, our lives should reflect His character, which is better

Taking up our cross was basically a death sentence… It means that we would have to give up what we would otherwise long to have. In other words, the one who receives the glory from our day-to-day decisions, thoughts, and actions would no longer be us; it would become Jesus. Is this what you understood following Jesus/becoming a Christian to be?

If we’re honest, much of what American Christianity has become actually has very little to do with the glorification of Jesus. If you ask the average churchgoer to describe their spiritual journey, there will be more talk about their church, pastor, or denomination than Jesus! Becoming a Christian isn't merely making a commitment to become an actively involved church member. As Christians/as the church, we seek to serve Jesus together. It's Jesus who deserves the glory, not our pastors or churches. Who do you speak about more?

As we go about our lives, let’s not lose sight of this call to die. Only when we give up our selfishness will we ever experience the abundant life we long to have. Keep in mind, this is a process of dying and not a quick fix. However, we’ll discover that as we seek to glorify Jesus through letting go of our needs, wants, and fears, what’s been broken in our lives will be mended in a way that only He can. How can we do this? Take a greater interest in loving and serving others as Jesus would than we do in being served ourselves...

• If we want a stronger marriage, then we must die to our needs and serve our spouse
• If we want to know our kids better, then we must take an interest in what they’re interested in
• If we want to know Jesus more intimately, we must seek to put His commands into practice, specifically the task of being witnesses for Him about the change His brining to our lives.