To Follow Christ 

   “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt 16: 24) 

   It is my greatest desire to follow Jesus all the way to heaven.  He has told me how that is possible; I must deny myself, pick up my cross and follow Him.

   How am I to deny myself?  I must submit my will to the will of God and seek His guidance in all that I do.  There will be times when I don’t understand, but there can never be a time that I do not trust.  There will be blessings but there will also be hardships.  I must praise Him for both.

   Praise and thanksgiving for the many blessings of God and all He has done for me is the easy part.  No one finds it hard to thank another for the good things they have received.  But that is only part of what “follow me” means.

   I must also accept, acknowledge, and give praise for the hardships which may befall me in this lifetime.  In matters of faith and trust in God,  accepting these difficulties and crosses that come is far more important than accepting the blessings He bestows on me.  It is in the difficulties that my faith is tested and, if I accept all as the will of God, increase my faith and draw me nearer to Him.

   If I am to follow Christ I must understand that He suffered greatly in His life.  He was betrayed by one of His chosen, abandoned by the others at His arrest.  He was scourged, forced to carry His cross to Calvary and there suffered the horrible death of the cross.  He was willing to do all this to give me the opportunity for redemption, forgiveness of my sins, and eternal life in heaven.  How can I not accept and give Him thanks when I must suffer the minor tribulations of this life and refuse to follow Him; even if it means all the way to the cross?